Dairy Industry Fights Back with Well-Being Initiative

While flipping thorough my issue of Tribuna Portuguesa, from Modesto, CA, I came across a plea to readers from a contributor asking that they consider joining the National Dairy Animal Well-being Initiative. There are many dairies in Central California and many Portuguese own them. So, I was intrigued to find out more.

It is a real initiative. Based on the contributor's article mentioned above, it looks like an attempt by the dairy industry to fight public perception of its attitude towards animal welfare and the environment. Any teeth though is removed by making this a VOLUNTARY program.

Here are some highlights from the Initiative's web site.
Note the response that "If we work together we can protect our freedom to operate by successfully managing this issue." Ah.

Q: What is the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative?
A: The National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative is a producer-led effort to build consumer trust and confidence in the dairy industry’s commitment to animal well-being. We want to protect our freedom to operate by demonstrating that we recognize our ethical obligation to care for our animals and that we have programs in place to meet that obligation. We want to create an umbrella of well-being principles and guidelines that will provide uniform validation of our commitment regardless of which dairy well-being program a producer uses.

Q: Who is on the Coalition doing this work?
A: The Coalition is a broad based group of volunteers from across the country representing every facet of the dairy industry. It includes producers, processors, co-ops, allied industry, academics, associations and others. More than 60 people have been involved in the work of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative since late 2005. The Coalition is not part of any specific association or organization, but a group that reflects the diversity and strength of the U.S. dairy industry.

Q: Why is this important?
A: Animal well-being is increasingly important to our customers and other dairy industry stakeholders who grant us the social license we need to operate. Today, dairy animal well-being is not a top of mind consumer concern. We want to maintain the level of consumer trust and confidence in dairy producers.

The Initiative gives you a chance to control your destiny and protect your freedom to operate by demonstrating that the dairy industry is committed to doing the right thing when it comes to animal well-being. It also provides you the opportunity to protect your markets and preserve market access by proving your commitment to animal well-being to customers and other stakeholders by participating in an animal well-being program that incorporates the national well-being principles and guidelines.

Q: Why should I participate?
A: We need all producers to demonstrate the dairy industry’s commitment to animal well-being. Today, dairy animal well-being is not a top of mind issue for consumers. We want to provide our customers, policy makers and other stakeholders who grant us the social license to operate, the assurance that we are meeting our ethical obligation to care for our animals. If we work together we can protect our freedom to operate by successfully managing this issue.

Q: Isn’t this just giving into the activists?
A: No. The creation of the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative demonstrates the dairy industry’s awareness of the need to communicate our commitment to animal well-being to our customers and consumers. Dairy producers have a long tradition of providing good care for their animals. We want to control our own destiny by creating a program that proves our commitment and allows us to honestly and accurately portray what happens on the farm.

Photo by Dawn Endico.