What U.S. Dairy Executives Learned from the Pandemic

In the early days and months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dairy industry faced challenges—such as shifts in supply and demand—as food service demand fell and retail demand skyrocketed. However, the industry ultimately emerged intact thanks to adjustments such as portfolio simplification and manufacturing flexibility. The authors explore what the experience was like for the dairy industry, and how executives plan to proceed. The authors recommend that the dairy industry expand the talent pool and ways of working, embrace a “One Health” approach, and establish flexible supply chains that can respond to unexpected disruptions.