Megatrends Affecting the U.S. Dairy Industry

In the last few years the dairy industry, including farmers and processors, has been buffeted by volatile prices that have resulted in large part because of declining milk price supports. While this has been a very important issue of immediate concern, numerous nonprice factors have played and continue to play an equally important role in shaping the future of the American dairy industry. In this paper, I will discuss what might be called mega trends shaping milk production and consumption in the U.S.