FROM THE CANADIAN QUALITY MILK PROGRAM TO PROACTION

New report showcases farmers’ stringent standards in areas like animal care, sustainability and more

By Dairy Farmers of Canada

In December 2022, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) released its 2022 proAction Progress Report, highlighting the steps taken by Canadian dairy farmers to ensure excellence in milk production. The proAction program provides a national assurance framework for dairy farmers to demonstrate and document best practices in producing some of finest milk on the planet, right here in Canada. Through proAction, Canadian dairy farmers collectively demonstrate a commitment to quality as well as to responsible stewardship of their animals and the environment.

The program has come a long way since it was first introduced, but how did it all begin?

In the late 1990s, consumer interest in how and where food is produced led to

• Milk Quality

• Food Safety

• Animal Care

• Traceability

• Biosecurity

• Environmental Sustainability

More information on proAction’s six modules of quality assurance can be found at dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/proAction the development of the first Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program. Launching in 1997, this industry-led, on-farm food safety program was recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and helped to address the changing expectations from both consumers and government.

Over the next 15 years, participation in the CQM program helped Canadian dairy farmers reassure and validate that they are leaders in quality and food safety at all levels of production. It also helped build trust among consumers that Canadian milk is produced under some of the most stringent standards in the world.

Further, by being proactive, dairy farmers ensured they would have a voice in the development of the on-farm quality assurance program that would soon follow.

Interest in our standards would soon expand to other aspects of dairy production including care of the land, stewardship of our natural resources, and treatment of our animals.

In 2012, the CQM program evolved into proAction, with six modules of quality assurance covering the full spectrum of dairy production. The six modules were phased in over the last decade to allow farmers time to adapt.

All 10,000 dairy farms from coast-to-coast follow the program’s