National Dairy FARM Program: Farmers Assuring

Responsible Management

Jamie JonkerSenior Director, Regulatory AffairsNational Milk Producers Federation

National Dairy FARM Program

• Industry-wide challenge, with marketplace implications

• Joint effort of DMI and NMPF, with involvement by other dairy organizations

• Goal: Bolster consumer trust and confidence in the U.S. dairy industry and demonstrate the industry’s commitment to the highest levels of animal care and quality assurance

• First step: Introduce a national on-farm animal well-being program and make it available to all producers

National Dairy FARM Program3-Year Plan

• 2009– Introduce Animal Care

component• Launch• Producer outreach• Finalize “Caring for Animals”

manual and checklists– Secure participation by

majority of U.S. milk• Industry education and

awareness• Material for co-ops, S/R’s

– Trade media plan– Training – field staff,

extension, veterinarians, etc.– Website for producer

training, education

• 2010– On-farm assessments– On-farm verification

system development• Methods• Threshold levels• “Certification”• Documents and tools

– Residue avoidance materials development

• 2011– Verification funding (via

non-Checkoff sources)– Implement on-farm

verification– Producer recognition – Additional materials

• Comprehensive set of dairy animal well-being guidelines

• Recommends best management practices based on the most current science

• Voluntary self-audit in a checklist format completed by producers

• Third party on-farm verification

Caring for Dairy Animals

• Joint effort of the Dairy Quality Assurance Center and National Milk Producers Federation

• Developed by scientific advisory board using the most current animal well-being research

• Endorsed by:– American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP)– Food Marketing Institute – National Council of Chain Restaurants

• Guidelines distributed widely in industry:Dairy Farmers Dairy NutritionistsVeterinarians Milk Cooperative Field Staff Other Dairy Consultants

DQA Caring for Dairy Animals

Reciprocal recognition with American Humane Certified program

“Certification by American Humane Certified and DQA assures consumers they are buying high-quality dairy products that are from humanely treated animals.”- Marie Belew Wheatley, President and CEO of American Humane (September 9,

2008)

DQA Caring for Dairy Animals

• NMPF/DMI/AABP joint effort• Top 10 culling and transportation decision

list• Distributed widely

– All dairy producers through cooperatives, proprietary processors, and producer requests – Ad in Hoard’s Dairyman

– Livestock Marketing Association– American Association of Bovine Practitioners– others

Culling and Transporting Dairy Cattle

Top 10 Culling & Transporting List

Questions?

Jamie Jonker (jjonker@nmpf.org)Senior Director, Regulatory AffairsNational Milk Producers Federation