U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards Announce Judging Panel

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy has announced the expert judging panel for the third annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. The panel of judges includes professionals from academic institutions, government, dairy science organizations, nongovernmental organizations, media and environmental and dairy industry leaders. This knowledgeable group brings expert insights on the economic and environmental state of the dairy industry today. The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program recognizes dairy farms, businesses and collaborative partnerships that deliver exceptional results that are good for business, good for the environment and good for the community. Nominations are open through Nov. 15, 2013. “The dairy industry is committed to providing consumers with the nutrient-rich dairy foods and beverages they want in an increasingly efficient and sustainable way,” says Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “The awards program gives us an opportunity to showcase outstanding efforts that build on our heritage of stewardship and continuous improvement.” Judges for the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards are:

Judges will evaluate all nominations based on results as measured by economic, environmental and social impact, as well as triple-bottom-line success. They also will assess the potential for other dairy farms and businesses to adopt the practices; demonstrated learning, innovation and improvement; and scalability. “Dairy farms and businesses of all sizes are finding creative and replicable ways to advance their stewardship and sustainability,” says Larry Jensen, chair, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and president, Leprino Foods. “Their stories show that while every sustainability journey is different, each one strengthens the beneficial role that dairy can play in a sustainable diet and food system.” Supporting the Sustainability Commitment and the Sustainability Awards program are this year’s gold- and silver-level sponsors. This year’s gold-level sponsors include: the Center for Advanced Energy Studies; DeLaval; DVO Anaerobic Digesters; Elanco Animal Health; HDR; InSinkErator; Tetra Pak Inc.; U.S. EPA; World Wildlife Fund and Zoetis. Silver-level sponsors include Dolphin WaterCare; Organic Solution Management; Skip Shapiro Enterprises, LLC; and Syngenta.