News

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube Live from Dairy Forum 2026, this week’s episode of The Dairy Download features two experts who are on the pulse of what’s happening in dairy consumption, pricing, innovation and nutrition. Tune in for insights from Niamh Kelly, chief commercial officer for dairy nutrition […]

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced today that Andrew Jerome has been named senior vice president of strategic communications. He will also assume the role of executive director of the IDFA Foundation, effective March 16, succeeding Matt Herrick. Jerome will report to Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA, and serve on the association’s executive leadership team.

The U.S. dairy industry exported $9.51 billion in dairy products in 2025, nearing the record high of $9.54 billion set in 2022 and marking a significant 15% increase over 2024, according to calendar year 2025 data released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The milestone underscores strong global demand for high-quality U.S. dairy products and reflects the industry’s success in expanding and diversifying export markets worldwide.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced it will purchase up to $148 million in American dairy products to support U.S. producers and deliver nutritious foods to food banks and federal nutrition assistance programs nationwide. The purchase includes significant quantities of butter, cheddar, Swiss and other cheese products, and fresh and ultra-high temperature milk.

Read the latest issue of Dairy Market Drivers, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. Dairy Market Drivers features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. Dairy Market Drivers: American Consumer Situation and Sentiment; U.S. Beef and Dairy Herd Numbers; and Nonfat Dry Milk Supplies […]

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube Live from Dairy Forum 2026, this week’s episode of The Dairy Download features two timely conversations on the forces shaping dairy and the rural economy. Tune in for insights from Blake Alexandre of Alexandre Family Farm and Brad Nordholm, CEO of Farmer […]

WASHINGTON, February 13, 2026 – IDFA submitted comments to CalRecycle on the department’s proposed permanent regulations for California Senate Bill (SB) 54, the state’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) program.

WASHINGTON, February 13, 2026—Today, U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) released a draft Farm Bill that would expand the SNAP Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) projects into a broader Dairy Nutrition Incentive Projects (DNIP) that encourages the consumption of additional varieties of milk, as well as cheese. “Chairman Thompson’s draft Farm Bill […]

WASHINGTON, February 13, 2026—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today applauded the Administration’s recent progress on trade agreements that will expand new market opportunities for U.S. dairy exports and strengthen the competitive position of American agriculture. The signing of a new trade agreement with Taiwan, which fully eliminates tariffs on U.S. dairy exports, marks a […]

Read the latest issue of Dairy Market Drivers, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. Dairy Market Drivers features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. Dairy Market Drivers: Private Label Sales On the Rise; U.S. Milk Production Growth; and Super Bowl Spending in a […]

February 3, 2026 – IDFA sent a letter today with 12 dairy companies co-signing, opposing legislation pertaining to product and packaging label claims related to recycling, that would establish a framework for when a recycling claim can be included on food packaging without making a deceptive and misleading claim.

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube How is dairy positioned to adapt to the new consumer? This week on The Dairy Download, we have a special episode live from Dairy Forum 2026! We hear from two guests who are keyed in on evolving dairy consumer trends: Jennifer Galardi, […]

WASHINGTON, February 2, 2026—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) issued the following statement today applauding President Donald Trump’s social media post stating that a trade agreement between the United States and India is within reach. For years, IDFA has been working with the United States government to support a positive agriculture trade relationship with India. As […]

INDIO, Calif., Feb. 2, 2026—The IDFA Foundation teamed up with 20 leading U.S. dairy companies and suppliers recently to take a bite out of hunger in Southern California, donating more than 4 truckloads of nutritious dairy products and giving more than $42,000 to FIND Food Bank to support the non-profit’s work with food pantries, soup […]

Danone was recognized today with the third annual International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Workplace of the Year Award at IDFA’s Dairy Forum in Palm Desert, California. The award, co-sponsored by IDFA and Dairy Processing magazine, is given each year to an outstanding IDFA member company that has created policies to promote a positive workplace experience for employees. Award recipients demonstrate efforts, create cultures of inclusiveness and respect, support professional development, and establish paid parental leave, flexible work hours and gender pay equality, among other criteria.

Karen McCarty of Agropur was recognized today with the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) 2026 Food Safety Leadership Award during IDFA’s Dairy Forum. The award, now in its tenth year, honors an individual, group or organization for demonstrating outstanding leadership directed at enhancing food safety within the dairy products industry.

View the PowerPoint Dairy Forum 2026Palm Desert, Calif.January 26, 2025 REMARKS AS DELIVEREDMichael Dykes, President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association: It’s Dairy Forum 2026. Can you believe we’re in 2026 already? Woo! So good to see all of you here. Record crowd again this year, we broke 1,200 people. So you’ve got 1,199 of […]

Apple Shamrock Dairy Farms, LLC of Townville, Pa. was recognized today as the 2026 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year at the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) Dairy Forum. The award is presented each year by IDFA and Dairy Herd Management magazine. As detailed by Dairy Herd Management in its feature story on the award-winning farm, Apple Shamrock Dairy Farms is a high-tech operation with a holistic approach to managing its expansive 3,500-acre operation, which supports a 1,250-cow milking herd producing an impressive 38 million pounds of milk annually.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today recognized the extraordinary leadership of David Ahlem, board advisor and former CEO and president of Hilmar, and Mike McCloskey, co-founder & CEO emeritus of Select Milk Producers, chairman & CEO of Fair Oaks Farms, and founder of fairlife, with the IDFA Laureate Award during the association’s annual Dairy Forum. Now in its seventh year, the IDFA Laureate Award is given to leaders in the dairy industry who have made significant, prolonged contributions to the development and growth of dairy. Candidates from across the dairy industry as well as suppliers and academics are eligible, and the awardee is chosen by a panel of industry professionals.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today announced new members of the organization’s Executive Council as well as new directors for the group’s five Industry Segment Boards. IDFA’s Executive Council is composed of executives from across the dairy foods industry and focuses on the business and operations of the association. The five Industry Segment Boards represent fluid milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy-derived ingredients, and are composed of experts and executives who drive policy and strategy alongside the association’s leadership. Together, the Executive Council and Industry Segment Boards make up IDFA’s governance structure and ensure that IDFA represents and engages all segments of the growing dairy industry in the United States.

Read the latest issue of Dairy Market Drivers, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. Dairy Market Drivers features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. Dairy Market Drivers: New Dietary Guidelines Promoting Dairy; Expanded Access to GLP-1; and State of the American Consumer in […]

WASHINGTON, January 21, 2026—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is awarding more than $11 million in grant funding to support dairy businesses and producers through the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBI) grant program. The initiatives support small and mid-sized dairy businesses in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products. Michael […]

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube What are the biggest opportunities ahead for the dairy sector in the coming year? How can we expect protein production and demand to evolve? And what are the expectations for global milk production and worldwide dairy demand as we look toward 2026? […]

WASHINGTON, January 14, 2026—U.S. President Donald Trump today signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 into law, clearing the way for whole and 2% milk to return to America’s school cafeterias for the first time in more than a decade. The bill allows schools to provide students with a variety of fluid […]

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube What are the current trends in dairy production and consumption? In what new ways are dairy ingredients being used in other food products? How are dairy ingredients, textures, and flavors developed to meet changing consumer demand? This week on The Dairy Download, […]

Read the latest issue of Dairy Market Drivers, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. Dairy Market Drivers features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. Dairy Market Drivers: Transportation Update; Beef Demand and Price Trends; and Groceries in a Minute! Quick Bites: Consumers Stick […]

WASHINGTON, January 7, 2026—The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) today released the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The report affirms dairy products’ central role in federal nutrition recommendations, recommends Americans consume three servings of dairy each day, and recommends the consumption of whole and full-fat dairy products such […]

Read the latest issue of The Dairy Bar, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. The Dairy Bar features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. The Dairy Bar: Quick Service Restaurant Traffic; Dairy Per Capita Consumption Data; and Key Dairy Market Fundamentals for 2026! […]

Michael Dykes, president and CEO of IDFA, issued the following note to IDFA members celebrating dairy industry successes in 2025. Dear Dairy Community, As we look ahead to a new year, IDFA extends our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for the many ways our members stepped up in 2025 to support our dairy industry. I believe […]

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, released the following statement on the U.S. Senate confirmation of Dr. Julie Callahan to serve as Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

WASHINGTON, December 16, 2025—Consumers continued their preference for wholesome dairy products in 2024, as new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows U.S. per-capita dairy consumption at near historic highs. Butter consumption hit a new record last year, while yogurt consumption showed the strongest overall growth followed by cottage cheese and regular ice […]

WASHINGTON, December 16, 2025—U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Jim Costa (D-CA) testified in support of the Codifying Useful Regulatory Definitions (CURD) Act (H.R.1394) at a U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Friday. In addition, Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI) submitted letters urging the committee to advance the legislation. […]

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube How is technology playing a role in the modernization of farm operations? How are farms able to generate new valuable data streams? How can innovations impact efficiency and animal comfort? This week on The Dairy Download, we hear from a panel of […]

WASHINGTON, December 15, 2025—The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 by voice vote, delivering final congressional approval for legislation that will restore whole and 2% milk to America’s school cafeterias for the first time in more than a decade. The bill is expected to be signed […]

Read the latest issue of The Dairy Bar, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. The Dairy Bar features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. The Dairy Bar: Online Shopping Trends; Pizza Sales and Prices Update; and Holiday Baking in a Minute! Quick Bites: […]

WASHINGTON, December 5, 2025 – IDFA sends letter to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regarding the scope of Extended Producer Responsibility law as applied to cheese wax.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2025—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today applauded a bipartisan group of 74 U.S. Representatives for sending a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer urging the Administration to use the upcoming United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) 2026 Joint Review to address Canada’s longstanding noncompliance with the agreement’s dairy commitments. In particular, the […]

WASHINGTON, December 3, 2025—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today recognized five distinguished individuals with the IDFA Leadership Award for their exceptional contributions to U.S. food, nutrition and agricultural policymaking and their strong support of the U.S. dairy industry. The awards were presented at IDFA’s annual Celebration of Dairy event, held this evening at the […]

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) will testify before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) this afternoon during a public hearing on the operation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Becky Rasdall Vargas, senior vice president for trade and workforce policy at IDFA, will call on U.S. negotiators to preserve the benefits of USMCA while rectifying violations and operational challenges.

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube How are emerging risks shaping the dairy supply chain today? What technologies are strengthening supply chain security and agility? How can companies reduce risk and future-proof their operations? This week on The Dairy Download, we hear from a panel of experts at […]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2025— The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announced today that Chelsie Keys has been named senior vice president, government relations, succeeding a position held by Dave Carlin who announced his retirement from IDFA earlier this year. Keys comes to IDFA from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, where she […]

WASHINGTON, November 24, 2025—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service SNAP Retailer Policy Division on the Proposed Rule regarding the variety of staple foods in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Read the latest issue of The Dairy Bar, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. The Dairy Bar features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. The Dairy Bar: Thanksgiving Dinner Costs; GLP-1 Medication Utilization; and Holiday Spending in a Minute! Quick Bites: Weight Loss […]

WASHINGTON, November 20, 2025—The U.S. Senate today passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 (S.222) by unanimous consent, a landmark step toward restoring whole and 2% milk to America’s school cafeterias. Today’s vote represents a major breakthrough in a long-running effort by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), dairy food companies, dairy […]

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube How are ready-to-drink beverages appealing to today’s consumers? How is protein setting dairy beverages apart in this space? What can we expect to see in the future of this category? This week on The Dairy Download, we hear from two experts in […]

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today applauded passage of a legislative package that will reopen the federal government, fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through fiscal year 2026, and extend many 2018 Farm Bill programs until September 30, 2026.

Read the latest issue of The Dairy Bar, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. The Dairy Bar features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. The Dairy Bar: Gen Z Dining Spending Habits; Milk Production Update; and Inflation in a Minute! Quick Bites: Milk […]

WASHINGTON, November 11, 2025  – IDFA sent a letter to the Governor’s office to express support for the Circular Action Alliance (CAA) Colorado Amended Program Plan (Amended Program Plan) as approved by the Colorado EPR Advisory Board, to include the post-consumer recycled (PCR) content Target Verification Mass Balance Free Allocation found at section 12.3.

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube What fall-inspired flavors are dairy companies and brands offering? How do seasonal flavors appeal to consumers? And what goes in to developing unique flavors?  This week on The Dairy Download, we hear from two experts about all things fall flavors: Ryan Murphy, […]

WASHINGTON, November 4, 2025—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2025—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) submitted formal comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) identifying key trade barriers affecting U.S. dairy exports.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2025—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) submitted formal comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) identifying key trade barriers affecting U.S. dairy exports. The comments urge the Administration to take proactive decisive action to improve U.S. dairy’s global market access and competitiveness. The comments will inform USTR’s 2026 National […]

Read the latest issue of The Dairy Bar, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. The Dairy Bar features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. The Dairy Bar: Beverage Trends; Argentine Soybean and Beef Exports; and Consumer Spending Across Income Levels in a Minute! […]

WASHINGTON, October 24, 2025 – IDFA provided comments to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Citizen and Immigration Services regarding the proposed rule “Weighted Selection Process for Registrants and Petitioners Seeking to File Cap-Subject H-1B Petitions.”

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2025—Earlier today, United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer announced agreements on reciprocal trade with Malaysia and Cambodia and frameworks for agreements on reciprocal trade with Thailand and Vietnam, four key Southeast Asian markets for U.S. dairy exporters. Collectively, U.S. dairy exports to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia reached almost $335 million […]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2025—The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in response to the agencies’ request for information to help develop a uniform definition of “ultra-processed foods” for human food products in the U.S. food supply. The following […]

WASHINGTON, October 22, 2025 – IDFA provided comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the agency’s request for information on the definition of Ultra Processed Foods.

Subscribe now to listen on your favorite podcast platform Apple Podcasts |  Spotify | RSS | YouTube How can dairy companies identify and assess cybersecurity risks? How can professionals stay ahead of evolving threats? What emerging risks should organizations prepare for in the years ahead? This week on The Dairy Download in recognition of Cybersecurity Month this October, we […]

Read the latest issue of The Dairy Bar, a bi-weekly report from IDFA partner Ever.Ag. The Dairy Bar features spotlight data, key policy updates, and a one-minute video that covers timely topics for the dairy industry. The Dairy Bar: Consumer Holiday Spending Outlook; High-Protein Whey; and EU Milk Production in a Minute! Quick Bites: High […]

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