Dairy Farmers of America 2024 Social Responsibility Report

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT PUBLISHED AUGUST 2024

Joe Gileau | DFA farmer-owner | Voluntown, Conn.

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TA BL E OF C ON T EN T S

ACTIONS FOR A CLIMATE-SMART FUTURE A MESSAGE FROM OUR LEADERS

04

OUR COOPERATIVE OWNED BY, GOVERNED BY, HERE FOR: DAIRY FARMERS

06

OUR REACH

07

OUR PLANET OUR SUSTAINABILITY PILLARS

08

SHARING OUR SUSTAINABILITY STORY

09

OUR PARTNERS AND PROJECTS

10

ON THE FARM AND IN THE PLANT

11

FARM PRACTICES AND ANIMAL CARE

12

GOLD STANDARD DAIRY PROGRAM

13

OUR PEOPLE A CULTURE OF INCLUSION

14

EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS AND IMPACT

15

OUR EMPLOYEES

16

OUR FARMER-OWNERS

17

OUR COMMUNITIES DFA CARES FOUNDATION

18

2023 GIVING AT A GLANCE

18

SCHOLARSHIPS AND COMMUNITY GIVEBACK

19

AFTERWORD LOOKING FORWARD

20

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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

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RANDY MOONEY

Chairman of the Board

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OUR COOPERATIVE

The Etgen family DFA farmer-owner family Harrod, Ohio

DFA is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies.

BENEFITS OF A COOPER ATIVE S TRUC TURE

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 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

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.

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VALUES

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

OUR BRANDS AT HOME

2023 BY THE NUMBERS

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

151 million

miles of finished goods distribution network each year ®

30+ forms of dairy products exported

*Representative listing of DFA-owned brands

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.

188

GLOBAL CUSTOMERS

17,200

#1

LARGEST SUPPLIER AND PROCESSOR OF RAW MILK IN THE WORLD*

$

22 billion

U.S. ANNUAL SALES

2nd

LARGEST GLOBAL DAIRY COMPANY**

CUSTOMERS SERVED PER YEAR *Source: IFCN processors report, 2021 **Source: Rabobank dairy sales turnover data, 2023

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Adam, Lee and James Graft DFA farmer-owner family Americus, Ga.

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

OUR SUS TAINABILIT Y PILL ARS

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

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ISSUE ON DFA

Increasing impact

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.”

Animal care on Generating indirect positive dairy farms economic impacts Economic viability and resilience of farmers Leading the way Environmental laws on sustainable and regulations business practices in partnership with suppliers Recording and taking action against discrimination Generating direct economic value Water consumption of DFA’s activities Transparent performance reporting and communication Human rights and ethical practices Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

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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.

WHAT WE’RE AIMING FOR

DFA’s science-based target is working toward a 30% reduction in absolute emissions across the business by 2030.

ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF DFA ON ISSUE

OUR PLANET

Increasing impact

The dairy industry is working toward GHG neutrality by 2050 while optimizing water use and maximizing water recycling.

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.

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OUR PLANET

SUSTAINABILITY

Arlene and Bob Vander Eyk DFA farmer-owners | Pixley, Calif.

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.

GREENHOUSE GAS FOOTPRINT

WE’RE MAKING PROGRESS*

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.

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

S CIENCE-BASED TARGE T COMMITMENT WORKING TOWARD A

30%

REDUCTION IN ABSOLUTE EMISSIONS ACROSS THE BUSINESS BY 2030* *Baseline set in 2018

F E D E R A L LY F U N D E D P R O J E C T E X A M P L E

CUSTOMER PARTNERSHIP EX AMPLE

CLIMATE-SMART DAIRY PILOT PROJECT

SUSTAINABLE CHEESE 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

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

Project partner: USDA, through its Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program

Timeframe: 2022–2024

Methods to reduce GHG emissions: Accelerating regenerative agriculture, reducing enteric methane emissions, optimizing manure management

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

Funding available: $45 million, 90% going directly to farmer-owners over five years

Project partners: Pizza Hut® and their cheese supplier

Timeframe: 2023–2028

Progress: Participating farms have shown a 10% reduction in farm-level GHG emissions and energy intensity*

Progress: Enrolling farmer-owners in the pilot project

*Intensity is measured by how much carbon is produced per one pound of milk.

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WHAT WE’RE DOING ON OUR FARMS

IN OUR PLANTS

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.

82 manufacturing plants engaged in sustainability efforts 3,420 loads of milk transported to DFA plants, customers

400+ FARMS ELIGIBLE FOR DFA-LED PROJECTS

830,000 TOTAL ACRES OF FARMLAND

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

metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent 670,000 emissions reduced per year

SOLAR PANELS Transforming the sun’s power into energy to reduce electricity needs.

785,906 no-till acres

20x

DFA farmer-owners have a soil management plan

smaller carbon footprint than coal renewable energy goes to the farm,

100% with an option to supply the power grid

709,392 cover crop acres

139

WATER RECYCLING From cooling the milk to cooling the cows, water is used in many ways on a dairy farm.

FEED ADDITIVES Reducing cows’ methane emissions through innovative additives to feed.

4x

average times water is recycled

82%

DFA farmer-owners have formalized water recycling practices

703

DFA farmer-owners use

reduction in GHG emissions from using

5–10% feed additives currently available in the marketplace

DFA farmer-owners participating in a customer-funded feed additive pilot

DFA farmer-owners recycle water used to

11

DFA farmer-owners recycle their wash water used for cleaning milking parlors and some bulk tanks

Feed additives help farmers across the country to reduce cows’ enteric methane. Proven feed additives today can reduce emissions 5–30%.

1,437 cool the temperature of fresh milk

31%

DECREASE IN CARBON EMISSIONS BY REDUCING IDLE TIME FOR MILK RECEIVING AND PAPER USAGE AT OUR ENGLEWOOD, COLO., FACILITY

DFA farmer-owners use

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE Farming and grazing practices that protect and replenish soil and store carbon.

86%

121 million miles traveled from farms to facilities per year

300,000+ COWS INVOLVED

ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS Turning cow manure back into renewable energy.

122

and joint ventures every day

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.

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

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OUR PLANET

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.

EXAMPLES OF OUR ROBUST E VA L UAT ION INC L UDE :

GOLD STANDARD DAIRY PROGRAM

• Evaluating animal housing and access to feed and water

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.

ANIMAL CARE AND WELLBEING

• Observing practices for maintaining herd health and comfort

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP • Measuring energy use and feed production

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.

• 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.

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Jordan Feemster | DFA farmer-owner | Springfield, Mo.

SETTING THE STANDARD

Animal care

Milk quality

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.

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.

Land and environmental stewardship

Workforce development

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.

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.

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OUR PEOPLE

A CULTURE OF INCLUSION

Ensuring our workforce reflects the communities where we live and work.

BY THE NUMBERS*

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.

2%

INCREASE IN RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE HIRES SINCE 2022

20%

EMPLOYEE REPRE SENTATION

OF SENIOR LEADERS ARE FEMALE 2024:

2024:

81% MEN 19% WOMEN

60% WHITE 40% ETHNICALLY DIVERSE

1,100+ PEOPLE LEADERS TRAINED ON INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP

PEOPLE LE ADER REPRE SENTATION Gender 2022

80% men

20% women

2023

81% men

19% women

8%

OF MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVES ARE VETERANS

Ethnicity 2022

79% white

21% ethnically diverse

2023

81% white

19% ethnically diverse 2% GOAL

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.

*Data since start of 2021 when diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts were formalized

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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.

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

GROWING PROFESSIONALS (GroPro)

EmpowHER

Supporting early-in-career professionals

Supporting women

MOSAIC

VETERANS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL

Supporting employees’ cultures and ethnicities

Supporting veterans, military family members and personnel

$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 2023 DEI HIGHLIGHTS

400+

L E A D IN G T H E WAY

AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

DEI ADVISORY COUNCIL

DEI EXECUTIVE TEAM

180+ DEI champions support local events and community activities

25 employees supporting DEI initiatives and programs

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.

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

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.

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OUR PEOPLE

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

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OUR FARMER-OWNERS DFA exists to provide value to the more than 10,000 dedicated dairy farmers who own our Cooperative.

Kelly VanGundy | DFA farmer-owner | Radnor, Ohio

2023 HIGHLIGHTS

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:

15,000 FAMILY MEMBERS EMPLOYED ON DFA FAMILY-OWNED DAIRY FARMS

1.8

MILLION VISITORS HOSTED ON DFA FARMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 2023

Generational.

Sustainable.

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.

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.

897

DFA FARMER-OWNERS HOST FARM TOURS OR COMMUNITY VISITS EVERY YEAR

2,371

GOLD STANDARD EVALUATIONS WERE CONDUCTED ON DFA FARMS

Innovative.

Community-minded.

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.

Before, after and in between milkings, our farmer-owners are industry leaders, community supporters, school board members, volunteer firefighters, Little League coaches and more.

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.

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OUR COMMUNITIES

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.

DISASTER RELIEF

YOUTH EDUCATION

$200K

donated to food banks and feeding organizations

7 farms

FOCUSED ON FOUR KEY AREAS:

HUNGER

2023 AT A GL ANCE

VETERAN SUPPORT

received relief funding while facing natural disasters

$83K

awarded to 64 scholarship recipients

1,645+

volunteer hours tracked by DFA employees

PROVIDING SUPPORT BY:

OUR PARTNERS

Give

Serve

Educate

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

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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.

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 WAY S O U R E M P L OY E E S VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME:

• Coaching youth sports • Leading addiction recovery groups

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

• 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

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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.

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2023 HIGHLIGHTS

2024 OUTLOOK

Carbon markets

Capturing opportunities

Energy conservation and generation

Measuring emissions

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.

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

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.

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.

Donated 34,500 gallon equivalents to 101 food distribution organizations across the United States and around the world.

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SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT

Cover photo: Christina Ruyne | DFA farmer-owner | Plainview, Texas

dfamilk.com | © 2024 Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. | August 2024

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