There are many possibilities and great potential for dairy’s future. However, it’s going to require a different way of thinking.
The world is moving at a faster pace than ever before and there seemingly are new consumer interests, trends, influencers and perspectives – including those that don’t align with ours – at every turn. Dairy farmers and the industry at large absolutely have a place in this ever-changing environment, but it is going to take a fresh approach to not only help secure it but to lead in the food and beverage space.
For the dairy checkoff, this means taking our partnership model that has worked so well and applying it in unexpected places. One new example is our work with a team of skilled entrepreneurs who will be tasked with helping to solve some of our industry’s challenges related to sustainability and nutrition.
This work will be done with the Venture Winston Grants competition and it wouldn’t have hit our radar had it not been for a checkoff-led strategy that started nearly two years ago as Dairy 2030.
It since has been renamed Dairy Transformation and involves about 100 people, representing leaders from Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy companies, farmers, and influencers from outside of dairy, including futurists. Their task is to examine where the world is headed and understand the implications for dairy. It isn’t so much about assessing where we are today but where we’re heading tomorrow and how will we get there.
Dairy Transformation keeps this research question in mind as we look to create a viable future: “How can we create inspiring new futures for U.S. dairy that ensure relevance to global consumer needs and preferences, drive innovation, contribute to a healthier planet and create a profitable and agile U.S. dairy value chain?”
The effort has resulted in some of the most forward-thinking ideas our industry has seen, such as engaging with the Venture Winston Grants program. Our collective eyes and minds have been opened to many “what if” possibilities that don’t seem too far from reality.
The Venture Winston Grants competition will put dairy in front of innovative and entrepreneurial thinkers for an outside-in perspective. What are the possibilities and solutions they see that can help transform our industry?
The competition is based in Winston Salem, N.C., and while this city has its roots in tobacco, it has emerged as a noted hub where some of the country’s most talented and brightest innovators gather to launch concepts that stretch traditional thinking.
It’s where dairy needs to be.
Grants will be awarded to members of this community to offer marketplace solutions for our industry’s challenges based in four main concept areas:
- Health and nutrition – dairy products and services tailored to a person’s body type, behavior and preferences
- Biobased products – transforming byproducts from processing or waste into packaging, clothing or fuel
- “Smart” communities of the future – dairy powering cities where people live within 15 minutes of their job and other critical needs
- Regenerative agriculture – dairy farms as an environmental solution for other industries and sectors
The process is underway to discover which of these talented startups is the right match for each area. Grant winners will be identified at the start of 2022 and their work will begin immediately.
The entrepreneurs will have access to a wealth of resources and experts in Winston Salem. Most important, dairy farmers, checkoff staff and other industry leaders will be part of their processes to provide our industry’s lens on what they are creating. Their work must be “dairy-centric” for this partnership to succeed and to provide benefits back to the industry.
The entrepreneurs will use 2022 to complete their work. Once finished, it could take two to three years for their concepts to be commercialized and available in the marketplace.
This is cutting-edge stuff and it’s exciting to let your imagination think about the possibilities. This work is a great, tangible example of where Dairy Transformation can lead us with its mission to create a preferred future for dairy. It’s our step to disrupt the marketplace before it disrupts us.
For sure, the dairy checkoff is in a very unexpected place with Venture Winston Grants. But it takes this type of new thinking to keep pace in a world that won’t slow down for us to catch up.
To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit www.USDairy.com or send a request to join our Facebook group. To reach us directly, send an email to TalkToTheCheckoff@dairy.org.
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