At the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) conference in February, delegates discussed the proAction Initiative – a new approach to the integrated delivery of on-farm programs. Building on the Canadian Quality Milk program infrastructure, this approach aims to improve how the industry meets a rising, multi-faceted wave of new expectations all tied to sustainability.
According to DFC President Wally Smith, integrating on-farm programs for a new generation is an efficient approach that would work well for producers and addresses expectations from food distributors and society.
“We believe we need to be proactive in addressing changing needs, responding to consumers’ thirst for knowledge about their food; and that we, the farmers, should design the program in a way that makes sense for farmers, not wait for Wal-Mart or someone else to ask us.
We have been working on best practices for years. The board and our members see the opportunity to streamline and coordinate various best management practices under one umbrella.”
Building on CQM
The dairy industry already developed an infrastructure for its Canadian Quality Milk (CQM), the on-farm food safety program that is recognized among the best of its kind in the world. CQM received technical recognition by CFIA in 2003.
These areas of best practices are milk quality, food safety, animal welfare, biosecurity, traceability and environment. The delegates were mostly positive in February and have tasked DFC to propose a detailed work plan on which delegates can vote in July.
Producers also conveyed their desire for all farmers to be treated equally across the country, something that did not happen with CQM delivery.
Other stakeholders, like veterinarians, have noted their interest. Veterinarians and other farm service providers will also have a role to play and will be involved in the process of developing a solid program, if the farm leaders vote in favour of proAction in July.
Signal of a new era
Other Canadian livestock sectors are also adopting a similar range of programs and initiatives. In other countries, there are also various initiatives: the UK has its Red Tractor, Australia is working on a Dairy Sustainability Framework, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) has its “Guide to Good Dairy Farming Practice.”
More importantly, food distributors are increasingly interested in sustainability issues and a huge number of sustainability claims continue to see the light as a result. Retailers and restaurants are interested in “sustainability” issues that proAction addresses.
ProAction has that potential to provide a powerful leverage for DFC’s branding programs, says Smith. “Farmers adopting the proAction Initiative can prove to the public we are modern, efficient farmers who respond to societal values. This initiative will prove to consumers that they have 100 good reasons to believe in the excellent image of Canadian milk!”
Run for farmers by farmers, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is the national policy organization representing Canada’s farmers. DFC strives to create stable conditions for the Canadian dairy industry, today and in the future. PD
