Why the Farm Bill Matters for Dairy

What IDFA Members Should Know

The farm bill is back, and this cycle presents a meaningful opportunity. As the legislation advances to the Senate, dairy is gaining visibility as a priority within nutrition policy and incentive‑based programs that expand access to healthy dairy products. For IDFA, the bill is especially consequential as the primary legislative vehicle for advancing key industry priorities, including the Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program (DNIP), an expansion of the successful Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) pilot. Below, we sit down with Chelsie Keys, senior vice president, government relations for IDFA, to discuss what members should know and how dairy priorities are gaining traction on Capitol Hill.

Why should IDFA members care about the Farm Bill?

Chelsie Keys: The farm bill is a long-standing omnibus piece of legislation that contains basically anything farm, food, agriculture-related, any legislation that falls into those categories that’s referred to the House Agriculture Committee or the Senate Agriculture Committee.

There are a few other things that fall outside of those authorities. But for the most part, the committees historically have moved legislation through this omnibus setting, which is a farm bill. And so dairy policy has always been a part of the farm bill discussion. And we’re seeing dairy policy getting more active in the incentive space. You’re seeing a lot more dairy priorities showing up. So it’s historically been very important, but I’d say it’s also evolving into sort of a more modern, policy vehicle to suit the dairy needs of today.

And the farm bill is the piece of legislation that contains IDFA’s number one legislative priority at the moment, which is the Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program. We saw expansion of the current Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Program included in the House Farm Bill.

And we refer to that as a Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program (DNIP). What this legislation will do is make dairy products more attainable, more affordable to households that utilize SNAP. And so it’s bringing healthy, nutritious dairy products produced by IDFA’s members to more households.

The Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Projects (HFMI) were first authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill. Are the pilot projects working? How is the program expanding?

  Chelsie Keys: Yes, these pilot projects are definitely working. You’re seeing more and more retailers wanting to sign up. We’re seeing East Coast, West Coast, South, southern-located retailers all expressing interest and, being a part of Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives.

We’re seeing more and more households utilize these incentives and get more nutritious dairy products into their family’s diets.

And it’s been a win for consumers. It’s been a win for dairy processors and a win for retailers.

You’ve worked on several Farm Bills during your time in Washington, D.C. How can IDFA members best engage to support dairy’s Farm Bill priorities?

Chelsie Keys: Member engagement is really important.

It’s important for your business. And it aligns with our agenda, and it aligns with giving households more access to nutritious dairy products. I’ve worked on four farm bills since I’ve been in Washington, starting with the 2008 farm bill, then the 2014 farm bill, the 2018 farm bill when I was a staffer on the Senate committee, and now this farm bill. And what’s really unique about farm bills is that lawmakers look forward to a farm bill. It is one of the very few and one of the last pieces of legislation that consistently, on a regular schedule, moves through Congress, and

it contains a lot of individual member priorities. So, issues like DNIP are very important proposals that a lot of members of the House Agriculture Committee, the Senate Agriculture Committee, and members of both of those bodies care about because it’s important for their constituents. Not only is it important for the businesses that operate in their states or in their districts, but it’s important for households as well.

So, issues like DNIP are very important proposals that a lot of members of the House Agriculture Committee, the Senate Agriculture Committee, and members of both of those bodies care about because it’s important for their constituents. Not only is it important for the businesses that operate in their states or in their districts, but it’s important for households as well.

Any of you can host a member of Congress, a Senator at your facility in your home state or district. That’s a very important opportunity for you to be able to put on display what you do back in their state.

And should you choose to host a member of Congress, IDFA stands ready to assist you in that effort with any technical expertise, media expertise, messaging, or whatever you need. We stand here ready to help.

You can also engage by showing your support through IDFA’s campaign center. Let your members of Congress know that the farm bill is important to the dairy industry!