American Dairy Coalition, a grassroots dairy farmer-led organization with diverse geographic representation, recently announced federal policy priorities and an action plan for 2023. American Dairy Coalition CEO Laurie Fischer says, “Our ongoing efforts have been focused on raising awareness of short- and long-term challenges.” One key short-term priority is to see the Class I milk price 'mover' returned to its previous 'higher of' formula in the 2023 Farm Bill. For the long-term, the coalition seeks a national Farm Bill hearing on the sustainability of Federal Milk Marketing Orders. Fischer says, “The systemic issues of declining fluid milk sales and declining FMMO participation create instability and uncertainty for dairy farmers.” ADC also supports restoring whole milk in federal nutrition programs like National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs and WIC. This includes exempting nutrient-dense foods like whole milk from the fat limits the Dietary Guidelines impose on nutrition programs and dairy checkoff promotions.
