Dairy Farmers is all in on sustainability
Canada’s dairy farmers have launched a marketing campaign to tell consumers they are working to reduce their impact on the environment.
Produced by Dairy Farmers of Canada, the campaign follows the organization’s February announcement that its farmers will be “net-zero” in terms of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In recent years, as concerns about global warming have increased, there has also been growing interest in the ways industrial dairy farming is contributing to the problem. There have been suggestions that reducing dairy consumption has to be part of larger efforts to save the planet from global warming.
DFC says it will reach “net-zero” through emissions reductions and GHG removal offsets, as well as through a range of more sustainable practices including better soil health and water retention, plastics recycling, renewable energy and enhanced biodiversity, wetland restoration, tree planting, carbon sequestration and more.
"Canadian dairy farmers are proud to lead the way in caring for our planet by continuing their dedication to conservation and sustainability," Pierre Lampron, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada, said at the time. "We already have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world for milk production and we are not stopping there—our net zero goal is a bold declaration of dairy farmers' continued work and ambition."
The new “I’m in” advertising campaign, which began July 1 and will run through Aug. 12, shows real dairy farmers on their land, and talks about some of the ways they’ve been working in environmentally friendly ways, while also promising to do better in the future to reach the 2050 goal.
While the campaign is targeted at anyone in the population interested in the environment, the new ads will also help with DFC’s focus on attracting younger millennial and generation Z consumers, who are particularly concerned about the environment and have shown a willingness to buy plant-based dairy.
"It was important for us to remind consumers that caring for the environment is not new for dairy farmers, and in fact it's one of the many reasons that our Blue Cow logo is so trusted by Canadians," said Pamela Nalewajek, vice-president of marketing for Dairy Farmers of Canada in a release introducing the new campaign.
"Our farmers have been working for decades to farm sustainably, making many changes over time, in order to create a future for dairy that not only reflects consumer priorities, but demonstrates that Canadian dairy farmers share their values, too."