How Canadian Dairy Farmers are Demonstrating Responsible Milk Production through proAction®

The Dairy Farmers of Canada started the proAction® Initiative to demonstrate to consumers how farmers responsibly produce milk in Canada. proAction® sets out to prove that farmers across Canada are producing milk with quality and safety at the top of mind, while also continuously working towards supporting animal care and environmental stewardship.

So, what is proAction®?

The proAction® initiative is a national on-farm program that addresses societal expectations around milk production in Canada.

The program sets requirements and targets in six key areas that address the quality, safety and social responsibility of Canadian Dairy Farmers.

Milk Quality

Milk quality is an ongoing focus for dairy farmers. Dairy Farmers of Canada and provincial milk organizations have monitored the quality of milk for years, ensuring that standards remain high in Canada. Every day, dairy farmers monitor and track milk quality criteria including bacteria levels and freezing point. The industry uses these criteria to regulate milk quality on the farm.

Food Safety

Farmers are trained through the food safety program, which is designed to help prevent, monitor and reduce any risk to food safety on the farms. Farmers continue of the to implement the program and use qualified validators to ensure they are meeting food safety standards and protocols.

Animal Care

Animal welfare is always a priority to dairy farmers, as farmers know that healthy cows are productive cows. proAction® ensures all farmers undergo an animal welfare assessment program, reflecting they are following best management practices when it comes to care of their cows

Livestock Traceability

The intent of the traceability module is to track animal movement from birth to death. This module allows for the ability to nationally track animals in the event of a national disease concern. This traceability is important for building trust with consumers and food chain partners alike and increases efficiency in production, transportation and marketing.

Biosecurity

Biosecurity measures are important in the Canadian dairy sector as they minimize or eliminate the spread of potential disease that can impact their farm, their herd and their product. To maintain biosecurity on the farm, Producers implement a variety of management practices to ensure they minimize risk. While no one farm is the same, some of the measures include cleaning farms twice per day, requiring visitors to wear protective gear when visiting the farms, and segregating new animals arriving on the farm.

Environment

Dairy Farmers of Canada have taken several steps toward environmental stewardship, as environmental sustainability remains a priority for the organization. In fact, an environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) was conducted and shows that producers in Canada are doing well compared with other countries in terms of environmental impact. You can read the LCA factsheet here: https://www.dairyfarmers.ca/proaction#environment

Canadian Dairy Farmers are leaders and trusted professionals in Canada. They remain committed to high quality standards and the proAction® initiative will continue to provide proof that farmers across Canada are producing milk responsibly.

You can learn more about the proAction® initiative by visiting: Dairy Farmers.

Credits:
Written by: Elisa Valade

Dec 14, 2021