The nomination period deadline for the 2022 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards was extended to March 4. The farmer-founded Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, which unites the industry through a shared social responsibility platform, said it launched the awards to honor exceptional farms, businesses and partnerships for their socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally sound practices and technologies that have a broad and positive impact.

“Sustainability Award winners epitomize the best of dairy sustainability and ingenuity, providing useful case studies for the dairy community as it moves forward to meet industrywide commitments, including dairy’s 2050 Environmental Stewardship goals,” said Barbara O’Brien, president and CEO of Rosemont, Ill.-based Dairy Management Inc. and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “We’re excited to see what innovations rise to the top with this year’s nominations.”

Award submissions may be made at www.usdairy.com/2022Awards. There is no fee to enter. All farms, companies and organizations involved in the U.S. dairy industry and engaged in collaborative and sustainable dairy-related practices are eligible to submit nominations in the following categories, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy said:

Processing and Manufacturing Sustainability

The Outstanding Dairy Processing and Manufacturing Sustainability category recognizes demonstrated steps to innovate, measure and communicate progress within the triple bottom line of sustainability. It provides replicable success stories to benefit the dairy community and to inform continuous improvement industrywide.

Dairy Farm Sustainability. The Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability category recognizes farmers for practices and technologies that demonstrate exemplary economic, environmental and/or social benefits and continuous improvement in dairy production. Successful nominations take a holistic approach to sustainability and provide replicable results that can advance on-farm dairy leadership and inspire positive change industrywide.

Community Impact. The Community Impact category commends efforts that improve lives and communities through positive impacts on health and wellness, hunger relief, workforce development, community volunteering and investment, and/or environmental stewardship. Successful nominations demonstrate how farms, cooperatives, processors or other dairy community stakeholders (either collaboratively or as a single entity) develop practical and effective solutions to shared challenges and goals of the communities in which they live and work.

Supply Chain Collaboration. The Supply Chain Collaboration category celebrates collaborative and market-based partnerships to demonstrate that truly sustainable outcomes come when all parts of the supply chain are involved in finding solutions. This award highlights farm-to-fork engagement through a collaborative farm, cooperative processor and/or retail/foodservice partnership to benefit all involved and to provide best-in-class examples of sustainable dairy supply chains.

The finalists will be notified in April, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy said, and the winners will receive:

• An official commemorative plaque.
• Recognition via public relations and other promotional activities, including at an awards ceremony.
• Opportunities to serve as a Dairy Sustainability Ambassador at key events.
• Use of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards logo for marketing purposes for up to one year.
• Case studies of their stories featured on www.usdairy.com/awards.

An independent panel of judges evaluates all nominations based on measurable results, demonstrated innovation and learning, and the potential for other dairy farms and businesses to adopt the practices, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy said.