WASHINGTON — The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and Zoetis are launching the Dairy Health, Efficiency & Resource Dynamics (Dairy HERD) Initiative. The goal for this $1.3 million research collaboration is to advance research in animal health, ensure the economic viability of the U.S. dairy industry and improve environmental outcomes. FFAR is currently accepting research proposals requesting between $500,000 and $1 million per project for projects lasting up to two years. The required matching funds for this opportunity have been secured, but additional matching funds are encouraged.
The Dairy HERD Initiative recognizes that animal health and welfare are top priorities for producers and consumers. The initiative advances research on the positive impacts of disease prevention and herd management on economic and environmental outcomes. These outcomes will help support the U.S. dairy industry’s collective 2050 environmental stewardship goals, which include reducing emissions, optimizing water use and recycling and improving water quality. The initiative will help ensure that results are available to farmers and other stakeholders by incorporating them into existing models and decision support tools, enabling farmers to increase efficiency and profitability on their farms.
The U.S. dairy industry has made significant strides in meeting its stewardship goals. Thanks to improved farming practices, producing a gallon of milk in 2017 required 30% less water, 21% less land and had a 19% smaller carbon footprint than in 2007. Dairy farmers already prioritize cow health and welfare. The Dairy HERD Initiative seeks research proposals to help quantify the benefits of these stewardship efforts and provides farmers with the tools to do so.
“FFAR is excited to partner with DMI and Zoetis to fill critical animal health research gaps,” said Dr. Jasmine Bruno, FFAR scientific program director. “This research initiative will not only help to increase profitability for farmers but also support the dairy industry in achieving their stewardship objectives.”
“Dairy farmers know the importance of cow health,” said Dr. Tim Kurt, senior vice president, environmental research strategy & group lead, DMI. “Quantifying the positive environmental outcomes of improved animal health will enable farmers to demonstrate improvement and access emerging ecosystem service markets or other financial incentives.”
“As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis brings deep expertise in advancing dairy cow health as a key driver of sustainable outcomes,” said Shari Westerfeld, vice president, U.S. sustainability customer engagement at Zoetis. “Through this research, we can help producers, veterinarians and nutritionists make informed decisions that optimize herd management, improve economic viability and reduce dairy’s environmental footprint.”
The Dairy HERD Initiative welcomes applications from all domestic and international higher education institutions, non-profit and for-profit organizations and government-affiliated research agencies. Pre-applications are due June 11, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the Dairy HERD Initiative page on FFAR’s website.
