ARLINGTON, VA – Dairy farming continues to advance in
sustainability and animal welfare as technology and scientific understanding
evolves, ensuring better care for the planet and for animals, said Jamie
Jonker, NMPF vice president for sustainability and scientific affairs, in this
week’s Dairy Defined Podcast.
Jonker discussed the
significance of recent USDA discussions on agricultural sustainability in which
he’s been involved while drilling more deeply into a topic of long-term
importance to public health: improved management of antibiotics use in
livestock. As science advances, so does dairy, Jonker said, making the sector’s
ambitious sustainability and public-health goals achievable even as
productivity increases, he said.
“The dairy farm I that
grew up on looked a lot different from my great-grandparents’ dairy farm. Our
animals made a lot more milk because we knew a lot more about genetics. They
made a lot more milk because we knew how to feed them. They also made a lot
more milk because we knew a lot more about how to take care of them,” Jonker
said. “That’s just going to continue on into the future.”
To listen to the full
podcast, click here. You can also find the Dairy Defined podcast
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file
below. Please attribute information to NMPF.