How would you draw the future?

Although times today may seem very dim, dairy producers and allied industry had a bright future in mind as they looked ahead to where the dairy industry might be in the next five years. When asked to draw their depiction of the future while attending Managers Academy in Florida, Jan. 20-22, there were many common themes. The industry will embrace the charge to meet global demands and feed the word. It will need the help of biotechnology to achieve such a task. Most importantly it will need to be united – from the producer to the consumer. All must participate and recognize the needs of others to fulfill the world’s greatest need – a safe, nutritious and abundant food supply. PD

Above: With good dairy nutrition needed throughout the world, biotechnology will need to be embraced to solve world hunger.

Above: The future for the dairy industry is bright and looking up.

Above: By continuing to educate the urban market about production agriculture, the dairy industry can connect the consumer to their products through confidence.

Above: In this graph portraying the estimated increase in population and consumption over the next five years, it is brought into question who will meet this demand and how will it be achieved. The cows in the background show that dairy is poised and ready.

Above: All industry stakeholders, including producers; processors and distributors; global brands; and non-government organizations (NGOs) must come together and build consumer confidence to increase the demand for dairy products.

Above: There will continue to be a divide between the groups that want to utilize new technologies to enhance food production and those that are opposed those innovations.