Reinforce GASL as amazing program. Livestock is a demonstrated agriculture economic and nutrition security model.
Dairy generates employment opportunities all along its extensive value chain. Around the world, 1 billion people derive their livelihoods from dairy, including traditionally disadvantaged segments of society, from small landholders to laborers and women. In 2013, approximately 150,418 employees worked on American dairy farms — an average of 5.1 workers per farm.[ii]
Still, millions cannot afford dairy foods, making it essential to develop a dairy infrastructure and value chain in many regions around the world. Dairy farming offers a unique opportunity to increase the earning potential of dairy farmers and neighboring agriculture farms.
Dairy also produces unique economic stability. Dairy farming provides a marketable food 365 days of the year, rather than a food and crop that is dependent on the growing cycles of other agriculture foods.
This stable income allows for savings, diversification of other agriculture crops and, in many cases, helps famers improve their own nutrition and that of their community. Dairy has the strength and reach to help nourish the global food economy — now and for generations to come.
Investment in agriculture needs to be responsible, with a long term financial horizon and should not be speculative in nature. Successful models for investment and growth of agriculture have been through a cooperative business models. Around the world Dairy has uniquely been able to provide rural economic vibrancy as a result of cooperative business models. Cooperatives should be considered as models to help farmers lift themselves out of poverty and provide unique long term infrastructure development models for roads, energy, and processing facilities to assist farmers and communities in rural areas.
Maria Sanchez Mainar