Social Responsibility

The U.S. dairy supply chain operates in a highly regulated environment which covers both locally produced goods as well as imported products. The food safety and security framework is in place to ensure that consumers are protected from harmful products entering the supply chain. Beyond environmental stewardship, production areas of animal care, labor welfare and antibiotic use are key areas of interest. There is a growing need for higher level documentation and continuous improvement in these areas to bolster awareness of industry implementation of best practices and maintain confidence.

California dairy producers are known for being proactive and leading the country in their efforts to continue to provide safe and nutritious foods to the local and world-wide markets. As such, CDRF funds projects that address the important risk management issues of animal care (best practices and disease management), food safety (e.g. managing product residues) and biosecurity (prevention and preparation for a biosecurity event). The emphasis within this focus area is outreach to ensure on-farm risk awareness and adoption of best practices. CDRF continues to work through CDQAP and other appropriate projects to provide local support for programs such as the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program.

See below for current project details.