01

Practical overview

The economic upheaval in the past few years has facilitated significant change across many industries, and dairy producers are some who are feeling these changes. Challenges affecting the dairy industry range from increased demand for plant-based food, to growing awareness of large dairy producers’ impact on the environment.

Consumers are becoming more involved with addressing climate change and making informed decisions about the food they eat, so it’s important for dairy producers to be aware of these market changes and adjust their products to meet the new demands.

There are a number of factors that have increased the demand for plant-based food products such as the health effects of animal products and the welfare of animals within the meat and dairy industries.

However, according to Adams et al, the pandemic has also facilitated changes in consumer tastes. A survey showed that many dairy consumers branched out and tried new things in the past two years. This involved a significant blending of plant based dairy substitutes and traditional dairy products.

02

Sustainability and Environmental Effects

The production of methane and other greenhouse gasses has long been a criticism of the dairy industry, but it’s coming under more scrutiny as climate change is growing in severity.

Despite activists pushing for the industry to move away from mass produced animal products towards plant based alternatives, there is a growing demand for dairy products. But how can producers balance the demand and the need for sustainable practices?

Some companies are looking to the packaging end of production to find places where increased sustainability can be implemented. A push away from plastics has created unique innovations in packaging dairy in a way that’s sustainable, affordable, and maintains the shelf-life of the products.

Some companies are utilizing edible film packaging made from proteins or gelatin-like material as a way of wrapping cheeses in airtight packaging similar to plastic, but easily compostable by consumers. This example is on the extreme end of what can be possible in sustainable packaging, but it’s encouraging to see companies thinking outside of the box.