Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is an
advocacy group created in 1934, when a number of related groups merged to form a single entity for representing the interests of
dairy farm
Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history th ...
ers.
Profile
The group represents dairy farmers living on over 10,000 farms across Canada. The organization is headquartered in
Ottawa, with marketing activities being led from a satellite
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
office. DFC's goal is to create favourable operating conditions for the Canadian dairy industry. It works to influence public policies that will maintain the viability of Canadian dairy producers and promotes the health benefits of
dairy products
Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in ...
.
The organization is run for producers, by producers. Dairy producers fund its operation, including promotional activities.
History
The group has represented Canadian dairy farmers since 1934. Originally called the ''Canadian Federation of Milk Producers'', it was part of the ''National Dairy Council'' (an organization representing dairy processors). The organization was renamed "Dairy Farmers of Canada" in 1942.
On February 1, 1994, Dairy Farmers of Canada merged with the ''Dairy Bureau of Canada'', the national non-profit organization responsible for the overall promotion of Canadian dairy products. All policy, marketing, nutrition and
market research
Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers: know about them, starting with who they are. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining competitiveness. Mar ...
activities were regrouped under the newly formed organization, which retained the name "Dairy Farmers of Canada". Shortly after the merger, the organization launched the "100% Canadian Milk" campaign, which still exists today and adopted the current alternative cow logo.
DFC members include dairy farmer organizations from all the
Canadian provinces. It is a member of the non-profit
Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
A recent initiative by the organization was to have dairy products that contained 100 percent Canadian dairy products indicated by using a specific label that states, "100% Canadian milk". A follow-up study investigating the impact of such a label revealed that Canadians were willing to pay more money for dairy products that specified using 100 percent Canadian milk products, versus its non-Canadian certified counterparts.
In January 2019, the federal government of Canada gave $2.7 million to the organization.
Certification of origin logo
The Dairy Farmers of Canada "Quality Milk" logo is used to help consumers identify products that contain 100% Canadian milk and Canadian dairy products. Introduced November 1, 2016, the new logo will gradually replace the previous origin logo which was commonly known as the "Little Blue Cow".
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Canadian lobbyists
Lobbying in Canada
Lobbying organizations in Canada
Agricultural organizations based in Canada
Dairy organizations
Dairy farming in Canada
1934 establishments in Ontario
Advocacy groups in Canada