SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
Joe Gileau | DFA farmer-owner | Voluntown, Conn.
ACTIONS FOR A CLIMATE-SMART FUTURE
ACTIONS FOR A CLIMATE-SMART FUTURE
As a Cooperative owned and governed by dairy farmers, we support dairy farm families’ businesses and legacies while nourishing people around the world.
It’s no secret: We face tough challenges today.
Mounting environmental concerns and pressures — from extreme weather events to rising temperatures and shifts in growing patterns — can make it harder for cows to make milk and farmer-owners to grow crops and maintain their livelihoods. On a global scale, environmental changes intensify the already serious issues of global food insecurity and malnutrition.
An evolving workforce and continued social unrest sheds light on how we care for our people — from emerging technology and innovation to community connections that bring our people together.
As a leading global dairy cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is committed to helping solve these problems.
Dairy farmers have always been caretakers of the land, with centuries-long traditions of social responsibility, land conservation and ethical farming. As an organization that exists for the benefit of dairy farmers, we are building on the work our farmer-owners started generations ago and are supporting them in their efforts to do even more in the future.
Our farmer-owners are always asking, ‘what’s next?’ They’re continually improving the way they farm and dairy. This could look like an anaerobic digester, turning their herd’s manure into energy and returning it to the grid, or replacing all their barn lights with LED lighting to conserve energy. They’re using environmental stewardship practices every day on their dairy farms: Regenerative agriculture. Water recycling. Manure management. Feed additives to reduce emissions. Renewable energy. They’re taking actions — both big and small — to be part of the solution.
While we recognize there is no single pathway to a climate-smart future, these actions are making progress so we can continue to feed the families of today — and tomorrow. Hunger affects nearly 800 million people globally. Dairy will increasingly serve as an even greater part of the solution to provide nutrition and support the health and wellness of people all over the world.
DFA’s farmer-owners are caring for our planet and nourishing the world, today, tomorrow and beyond.
DENNIS RODENBAUGH President and Chief Executive Officer
RANDY MOONEY Chairman of the Board
OUR COOPERATIVE
DFA is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies.
100% FARMER-OWNED
At DFA, we’re farmer-owned and farmer-governed, which means our 10,000 farmer-owners have a voice and a say in our Cooperative. DFA exists to find a safe, secure home for every drop of our farmer-owners’ milk, and we’re always looking for new ways to deliver value to them, whether that’s through commercial investments, like processing plants and brands, or resources and services to help them run their dairies successfully.
OUR GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE
Through DFA’s governance structure, there are hundreds of positions for our farmer-owners to get involved and to be engaged in our Cooperative.
OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES
MISSION
Deliver Value to Our Family Farm-Owners as a Leading Global Dairy Cooperative.
VISION
Enriching Communities and Consumers’ Lives Through all the Possibilities of Dairy.
Our long-term focus on the future of family dairies naturally leads to promoting economic stability and environmental sustainability. What else makes our Cooperative unique:
We secure markets for our farmer-owners’ milk through commercial investments, customers, and joint ventures and alliances
Our farmer-owners invest in every step of the supply chain, from their own farm to consumers’ dinner tables
Our farmer-owners share in the profits of our commercial businesses through annual patronage payments
Our structure allows farmer-owners to remain independent business owners
We pay our farmer-owners a competitive price for their milk
We strengthen our farmer-owners’ bargaining power
We capitalize on new marketplace opportunities and compete in the global market
We leverage our presence in communities across the country to give back and serve those in need
The Etgen family DFA farmer-owner family Harrod, Ohio
OUR BRANDS AT HOME
While supporting and serving more than 10,000 farmer-owners, DFA manufactures nearly every form, function and flavor of dairy products, including fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream and dairy ingredients.
19,000 employees
82 wholly owned manufacturing facilities
3,420 loads of raw milk transported per day
OUR REACH AROUND THE WORLD
On a global scale, we work with some of the world’s leading food companies to develop ingredients that deliver the greatest source of nutrition to consumers around the world, while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming.
GLOBAL CUSTOMERS
17,200 CUSTOMERS SERVED PER YEAR
151 million miles of finished goods distribution network each year
30+ forms of dairy products exported
FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY
DFA is focused on enriching communities and consumers’ lives through all the possibilities of dairy. For us, this means producing nutritious dairy products while taking care of our planet for generations of dairy farmers and dairy-loving consumers to come.
ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE IMPACT
Guided by our values of integrity, passion, quality and community, DFA strives to be environmentally responsible and socially conscious through a strong governance structure by our farmer-ownership.
DFA’S MATERIALITY MATRIX
A materiality assessment is a tool used by businesses to determine which sustainability issues are of priority. DFA conducts a materiality assessment every three years, which is aligned with the U.S. dairy industry’s materiality assessment conducted annually by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. We use these insights to identify focus areas for our Cooperative where we can have the most impact and have labeled them below. To learn more about the report, visit usdairy.com and search for “materiality assessment.”
OUR PLANET
We are committed to accelerating innovation that supports the work already being done to reduce dairy’s carbon footprint.
OUR PEOPLE
We put our people first. We want all of our employees and farmers to thrive, which is why we promote a safe and welcoming place to work and support a positive workplace culture.
OUR COMMUNITIES
We enrich our communities with the nutritional goodness of dairy, by providing a direct connection to where our food comes from and through ongoing support to our communities.
DFA’s science-based target is working toward a 30% reduction in absolute emissions across the business by 2030.
The dairy industry is working toward
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals call all countries to action in a global effort to reduce hunger and poverty while promoting a healthy planet. Dairy is a solution to achieving these goals in the United States and around the world — below are the specific goals we have identified through our sustainability strategy that we can most impact as a Cooperative.
HOW WE’RE SHARING OUR SUSTAINABILITY STORY
Our farmer-owners have always cared for their land and animals in innovative ways. We’re sharing their stories to help consumers feel confident about the dairy they enjoy — all with a better understanding of how dairy farm practices contribute to feeding a hungry world with sustainably made dairy products.
LEARN MORE AT DFAMILK.COM/SUSTAINABILITY
Nikki Boxler | DFA farmer-owner | Varysburg, N.Y.
SUSTAINABILITY
We are ensuring a better tomorrow by working toward a net zero — or better — GHG footprint for our Cooperative and the U.S. dairy industry.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE
Our farmer-owners continue to make efforts — big and small — to care for the planet, and with access to opportunities like equipment cost share, practice support and technical assistance, they can do even more. That’s why DFA applies for grants and funding on behalf of our farmer-owners and partners with customers for on-farm pilots and projects.
In addition, we have explored and secured federal funds, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Climate-Smart Commodities grant and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), amounting to nearly $70 million for our farmer-owners’ sustainability projects in the last 18 months.
PARTNERING FOR THE PLANET
No one organization can take on climate challenges alone. We partner on sustainability projects with industry organizations (shown below) and customers that care about protecting the planet as much as we do.
CLIMATE-SMART DAIRY PILOT PROJECT
Goal: Create a self-sustaining cycle where DFA’s farmer-owners are incentivized to continue to reduce on-farm GHG emissions and, in turn, create climate-smart dairy products
Project partner: USDA, through its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program
Methods to reduce GHG emissions: Accelerating regenerative agriculture, reducing enteric methane emissions, optimizing manure management
Funding available: $45 million, 90% going directly to farmer-owners over five years
Timeframe: 2023–2028
Progress: Enrolling farmer-owners in the pilot project
GREENHOUSE GAS FOOTPRINT
WE’RE MAKING PROGRESS *
6.8% decrease in Scope 3 emissions from baseline 7% decrease in total emissions from baseline
SCOPE 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources
SCOPE 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy
SCOPE 3: Indirect emissions in the DFA supply chain
SCIENCE-BASED TARGET COMMITMENT
WORKING TOWARD A
REDUCTION IN ABSOLUTE EMISSIONS ACROSS THE BUSINESS BY 2030 * 30%
*Baseline set in 2018
SUSTAINABLE CHEESE PROJECT
Goal: Support dairy farmers in Greeley, Colo.; Roswell, N.M.; and Lemoore, Calif., milksheds to improve feed efficiency, produce less waste and reduce GHG emissions
Timeframe: 2022–2024
Project partners: Pizza Hut® and their cheese supplier
Methods to reduce GHG emissions: Nutrition management through precise herd diets, electronic feed inventory management to minimize waste, energy-efficient barn fans to keep cows comfortable, crop health product to promote a greater yield and increasing feed produced
Progress: Participating farms have shown a 10% reduction in farm-level GHG emissions and energy intensity*
*Intensity is measured by how much carbon is produced per one pound of milk.
Arlene and Bob Vander Eyk DFA farmer-owners | Pixley, Calif.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
ON OUR FARMS
DFA farmer-owners have been recycling water, conserving energy and improving soil for generations. In addition to their everyday practices, DFA is working hard to understand how our farmer-owners can benefit from the ecomarket while driving the acceleration of conservation on their farms.
SOLID LIQUID SEPARATORS
Cow manure is separated to fertilize crops or is dried for animal bedding.
35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
12 new solid liquid separators funded through USDA Climate-Smart Commodities grant
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Farming and grazing practices that protect and replenish soil and store carbon.
785,906 no-till acres
86% DFA farmer-owners have a soil management plan
709,392 cover crop acres
WATER RECYCLING
From cooling the milk to cooling the cows, water is used in many ways on a dairy farm.
4x average times water is recycled
82%
1,437
703
DFA farmer-owners have formalized water recycling practices
DFA farmer-owners recycle water used to cool the temperature of fresh milk
DFA farmer-owners recycle their wash water used for cleaning milking parlors and some bulk tanks
ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS
Turning cow manure back into renewable energy.
670,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reduced per year
122 DFA farmer-owners use
SOLAR PANELS
Transforming the sun’s power into energy to reduce electricity needs.
20x smaller carbon footprint than coal
100% renewable energy goes to the farm, with an option to supply the power grid
139 DFA farmer-owners use
FEED ADDITIVES
Reducing cows’ methane emissions through innovative additives to feed.
5–10% reduction in GHG emissions from using feed additives currently available in the marketplace
11 DFA farmer-owners participating in a customer-funded feed additive pilot
Feed additives help farmers across the country to reduce cows’ enteric methane. Proven feed additives today can reduce emissions 5–30%.
All active DFA-led projects, once completed, are estimated to result in a reduction of 4.7 million metric tons of CO2 emissions after five years. This is equivalent to GHG emissions from 1.1 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.
IN OUR PLANTS
82 manufacturing plants engaged in sustainability efforts
3,420 loads of milk transported to DFA plants, customers and joint ventures every day
121 million miles traveled from farms to facilities per year
31%
DECREASE IN CARBON EMISSIONS BY REDUCING IDLE TIME FOR MILK RECEIVING AND PAPER USAGE AT OUR ENGLEWOOD, COLO., FACILITY
1,629
KILOWATT ADDITIONAL SOLAR POWER CAPACITY AT OUR MIDDLEBURY CENTER, PA., FACILITY
5,500
ENERGY AUDITS COMPLETED TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES SINCE 2019
15%
PROJECTED GHG EMISSION REDUCTION AT FIVE DFA PLANTS IN CALIFORNIA
203,000
METRIC TONS OF BY-PRODUCTS UPCYCLED YEARLY
FARM PRACTICES AND ANIMAL CARE
As stewards of the land and animals in their care, DFA’s farmer-owners are committed to providing consumers with high-quality milk that is produced responsibly.
GOLD STANDARD DAIRY PROGRAM
Our on-farm evaluation program supports our farmer-owners in the areas of animal care and well-being, land and environmental stewardship, milk quality and workforce development. It allows us to collect insightful data, assess and analyze various on-farm practices, provide feedback to farmer-owners on areas they are doing well and identify opportunities for improvement. Customers and consumers can feel confident that our farmer-owners are producing safe, high-quality milk.
Trained field representatives across the country conduct on-farm evaluations at every DFA farm at least once every three years. The program has been through five iterations since its inception in 2007, methodically evolving to make sure we’re providing relevant opportunities and added value for our farmer-owners. It continues to incorporate new technology and trends within the industry, helping support farms to become more sustainable for future generations to come.
EXAMPLES OF OUR ROBUST EVALUATION INCLUDE:
ANIMAL CARE AND WELLBEING
• Evaluating animal housing and access to feed and water
• Observing practices for maintaining herd health and comfort
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
• Measuring energy use and feed production
• Renewable energy sourcing and participation in environmental programs
LAND STEWARDSHIP
• Cropping and regenerative agriculture practices
• Soil management, water use, and land and soil treatments
MILK QUALITY
• Testing and regulatory
• Herd and facility health management
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
• Maintaining a safe work environment for employees
Our Gold Standard Dairy Program fully encompasses the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program standards and more.
SETTING THE STANDARD
Animal care
At the heart of every dairy farm are the cows, and behind every dairy farm are hardworking, committed DFA farmer-owners, farm employees and other farm partners dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of cow care. Demonstrating our commitment to animal care and wellbeing, DFA adopts the National Milk Producer Federation’s (NMPF) FARM Animal Care program, an industry-wide and led standard.
Land and environmental stewardship
DFA’s farmer-owners are committed to producing wholesome dairy while protecting our water, soil and natural habitats. While continuing to perfect traditional farm practices that preserve the environment, they also utilize sustainable innovations and new technology on the farm. Additionally, our farmer-owners can voluntarily participate in the FARM Environmental Stewardship assessment. This tool calculates a greenhouse gas and energy footprint for the farm, others in the region and nationally, and also compares the results over time.
Milk quality
When it comes to the quality of our milk, our standards ensure that milk coming from DFA’s farmer-owners is safe, nutritious and of the highest quality. We abide by strict guidelines, including milking protocols, testing and regulatory, employee training on milking procedures and facility upkeep.
Workforce development
Vital to any farming operation are the people who care every day for the animals and the land. The Gold Standard Dairy Program helps farmer-owners by providing support on best hiring and safety practices, worker benefits, orientation and onboarding of employees on the farm. In addition, the FARM Workforce Development tool outlines best practices, with a focus on developing sustainable management processes and procedures to promote positive human resources and safety outcomes on dairies.
A CULTURE OF INCLUSION
Ensuring our workforce reflects the communities where we live and work.
WELCOMING AND RETAINING DIVERSE TALENT
With nearly 19,000 employees in more than 400 locations, diverse perspectives lead us to make better decisions, foster innovation and build stronger relationships with our customers and consumers. We’re making progress, but we know we can do better — that’s why we are continuously evaluating, reflecting and improving on our goals.
By the end of 2024, our goal is to increase diversity of people leaders in manager and above roles through hiring practices and internal promotions.
EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION
PEOPLE LEADER REPRESENTATION
PARTNERING FOR OUR PEOPLE
We continue to seek partnerships with organizations who align with our values and support our goals. In 2023, we increased the diversity of our partner organizations by 50%. We achieved this by building brand awareness and relationships with diverse talent through community outreach, volunteering, networking events, scholarships and grants.
BY THE NUMBERS
2%
INCREASE IN RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE HIRES SINCE 2022
20% OF SENIOR LEADERS ARE FEMALE
1,100+
PEOPLE LEADERS TRAINED ON INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP 8% OF MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVES ARE VETERANS *Data since
SUPPORTING OUR EMPLOYEES
EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS (ERGS)
Since 2022, we have established and launched four ERGs, led voluntarily by employees to connect and support in their professional and personal development, networking and driving community engagement.
GROWING PROFESSIONALS ( GroPro )
Supporting early-in-career professionals
MOSAIC
Supporting employees’ cultures and ethnicities
EmpowHER Supporting women
VETERANS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL
Supporting veterans, military family members and personnel
LEADING THE WAY
AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
CONNECTING WITH DIVERSE AND TALENTED COMMUNITIES
$125,000 in scholarships awarded with our partnership organizations, including the DFA Cares Foundation, and network of historically Black colleges and universities
$3.6 million in community giving to support diverse populations globally
Improved the diversity of our summer internship program in 2023:
57% WOMEN
25% RACIALLY OR ETHNICALLY DIVERSE STUDENTS
400+
DEI ADVISORY COUNCIL 25 employees supporting DEI initiatives and programs
180+ DEI champions support local events and community activities DEI
EXECUTIVE TEAM
15-person team guiding DEI strategy and initiatives
OUR SUPPLIERS
At DFA, we recognize a diverse and inclusive supply chain is instrumental to our success. We understand that these partnerships help us drive innovation, increase competitiveness and create more equitable economic opportunities for all.
We work with diverse suppliers from various backgrounds and industries, including women-owned, minority-owned, LGBTQ-owned, veteran-owned and businesses owned by individuals with disabilities. By partnering with these businesses, we can create stronger relationships,strengthen our communities, foster new ideas and solutions and drive positive social and economic impact.
employees participated in an ERG
180+
DEI ambassadors facilitated our third annual Inclusion Connect celebration in July
2,000+ employees participated in or completed DEI-related courses
INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
OUR EMPLOYEES
Nothing is more important to us than the health, safety and overall well-being of our employees in every role throughout our Cooperative.
WELLNESS PROGRAM
From emotional well-being to fitness challenges to cybersecurity training, the DFA wellness program drives education and awareness for holistic health topics to address stressors or challenges our employees may be facing.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
DFA offers, at no cost, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to all employees and family members that reside in the same household, through SupportLinc. Services include sourcing childcare and adult care, financial and legal services, and counseling.
Rooted in our value of integrity, our compliance program champions the expectation that everyone adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct every day in every way. Through our Integrity Helpline and website, employees have a mechanism to express any concerns or issues in a protected, anonymous way.
100% of employees completed our Code of Conduct training in 2023
60 employees recognized as Integrity All-Stars who uphold our value of integrity in all that they do
108
Value Integrity liaisons throughout the Cooperative who champion our values and Code of Conduct
OUR FARMER-OWNERS
DFA exists to provide value to the more than 10,000 dedicated dairy farmers who own our Cooperative.
WHO THEY ARE
The family farm-owners of DFA take pride in feeding the world from their family farms, all while taking care of their cows, the environment and one another.
THEY ARE:
Generational.
Dairying is a way of life, and for many dairy farmers, it’s a passion passed down for generations — and one they hope to pass on to the next. But whether they are fifth generation or first generation, they treat their animals and land with respect and work tirelessly to nourish families around the world.
Innovative.
Our farmer-owners are forward-thinking and are always working to improve their operations — whether that means embracing technology like milking robots, working with a nutritionist to improve feed rations for their cows or finding ways to be more efficient.
Sustainable.
As longtime caretakers of their herd and the land, sustainability isn’t just an initiative for our farmers — it’s a responsibility to future generations. Sustainability looks a little bit different on each farm — from keeping soil healthy with regenerative agriculture practices to recycling water and harnessing renewable energy with solar panels, wind turbines and anaerobic digesters.
Community-minded.
Before, after and in between milkings, our farmer-owners are industry leaders, community supporters, school board members, volunteer firefighters, Little League coaches and more.
2023 HIGHLIGHTS
15,000
FAMILY MEMBERS EMPLOYED ON DFA FAMILY-OWNED DAIRY FARMS
1.8
MILLION VISITORS HOSTED ON DFA FARMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 2023
897
DFA FARMER-OWNERS HOST FARM TOURS OR COMMUNITY VISITS EVERY YEAR
2,371
GOLD STANDARD EVALUATIONS WERE CONDUCTED ON DFA FARMS
As part of the National Dairy FARM Program, an industry-wide, on-farm standards module for workforce development (WFD) equips our farmer-owners with tools to have best-in-class employee management processes and procedures, and promotes positive human resources and safety outcomes on dairies.
Kelly VanGundy | DFA farmer-owner | Radnor, Ohio
DFA CARES FOUNDATION
Giving back to communities down the road and across the world.
A DIFFERENCE THAT MATTERS
As a purpose-driven cooperative, community has always been at the core of who we are. We are dedicated to giving back to all the communities we touch — starting with the local towns where we live and work to communities across the world that are nourished by the goodness of dairy.
While caring for our communities has always been a shared value, we were moved to formalize our commitment in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region and impacted our member farms. At that time, the DFA Cares Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ran by a farmer-leader board of directors, was born.
HUNGER
DISASTER RELIEF VETERAN SUPPORT YOUTH EDUCATION
PROVIDING SUPPORT BY:
$200K
donated to food banks and feeding organizations
FOCUSED ON FOUR KEY AREAS: OUR PARTNERS
Giving of money or product donations
Serving in our communities through volunteer opportunities
Educating and bringing awareness to all the possibilities of dairy through our DFA community
7 farms received relief funding while facing natural disasters $83K awarded to 64 scholarship recipients
1,645+ volunteer hours tracked by DFA employees 2023 AT A GLANCE
WAYS WE GIVE BACK
DFA CARES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Our Cooperative and the dairy industry need accountants, scientists, engineers, computer technicians, market analysts, writers and so many more professionals to ensure families down the road and across the world are nourished with the goodness of dairy. That’s why every year we select more than 50 students to benefit from our scholarship fund.
$83,000 awarded to 64 students in 2024
DFA CARES FARMER-OWNER AND EMPLOYEE RELIEF FUNDS
FARMER-OWNER AND EMPLOYEE RELIEF
When natural disasters or other devastating events impact the farm, farmer-owner families are able to apply and receive monetary support through DFA Cares.
Our DFA Cares Employee Relief Fund, supported by employee donations, provides monetary help to employees when crises arise, such as medical emergencies, family funerals and more.
THE GIVING COW FOUNDATION
Part of DFA Cares, The Giving Cow Foundation was started in 2020 by Kemps®, a farmer-owned brand of DFA. The Giving Cow Foundation distributes shelf-stable milk through backpack programs and local food shelves in various regions of the United States.
3 MILLION+
units of milk and $200,000 have been donated since inception
GIVING OUR TIME AND BEYOND
Whether it be through monetary support or by volunteering our time, we know our employees live DFA’s value of community as active members of their communities outside of work.
Our volunteer logging system enables us to count, map and share all the ways our employees give back to their communities. This tool allows us to get a better picture of our Cooperative’s charitable reach and ensures we are making an impact across diverse communities.
46
COMMUNITIES
received volunteer support from DFA employees in 2023
WAYS OUR EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME:
• Coaching youth sports
• Leading addiction recovery groups
• Providing meals and groceries to those in need
• Running medical clinics on mission trips to other countries
• Volunteering with the local fire department and Emergency Medical Services
• Teaching yoga classes for people with development disabilities
LOOKING FORWARD
CONNECTING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
From the heartland of the Midwest to the bustling streets of Singapore, from farm to table, from fridge to pantry, our Cooperative reaches people both near and far from all walks of life with the wholesome goodness of real dairy.
With the privilege to make such a big difference for our planet, our people and our communities, comes the responsibility to do more. In 2024 and beyond, we are focused on connecting people and resources, capturing new opportunities and championing change.
Together with our farmer-owners, our employees, our customers and our consumers, we will lead the way for a better tomorrow for us all.
Carbon markets
Invested in the development of Athian, the first insetting livestock platform — the structure needed for farmers to capture value from carbon credits they create on their operations.
Energy conservation and generation
Collaborated with technical service partners and others to develop resources and structures to best connect our farmer-owners with programs supporting their renewable energy goals.
Inclusion recognition
Received the Seal of Accomplishment Award, awarded by the Center for Disability Inclusion, for our commitment to embracing diversity through accessible inclusion.
Gallons for good
Donated 34,500 gallon equivalents to 101 food distribution organizations across the United States and around the world.
Capturing opportunities
Work with partners to create more opportunities for DFA farmer-owners to capture value from sustainability projects by scaling pilots and practices to improve soil health, minimize enteric emissions and more.
Measuring emissions
Fully implement a measuring and reporting platform to better capture our emissions reductions at all DFA-owned plants.
Employee engagement
Increase the number of employees participating in employee resource groups.
Community support
Expand funding for food donations, disaster assistance and scholarships.
Cover photo: Christina Ruyne | DFA farmer-owner | Plainview, Texas