In honor of National Dairy Month, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., launched an updated version of its economic impact tool, Dairy Delivers, which measures the combined impact of the dairy products industry at the national, state and Congressional district levels across the United States.

Updated for the first time since 2017, Dairy Delivers is the most comprehensive and current analysis of how the production and marketing of all dairy products — milk, ice cream, cheese, butter, yogurt and cultured products, as well as ingredients such as protein powders and whey — positively affect the U.S. economy, IDFA said. Data include direct and indirect measures of output, wages, jobs, state and national gross domestic product (GDP), and contributions to taxes at the local, state and national levels.

Overall, the dairy industry supports the U.S. economy in the following ways, IDFA said:

  • Contributes 1% to national GDP.
  • Adds $620 billion in total economic impact.
  • Supports more than 3 million total jobs.
  • Provides a $64.5 billion contribution to federal, state and local taxes (not including sales taxes paid by consumers).
  • Generates $38 billion in direct wages for workers in the dairy industry.

“Not only do dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages, but they also drive growth, support jobs and contribute to a healthy economy,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “As the voice of the dairy industry, IDFA is proud to introduce Dairy Delivers 2.0, the most comprehensive picture of dairy’s impact on the U.S. economy.

“There is new economic data detailing how the five major segments of dairy — milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and ingredients — make a difference across country,” he added. “From dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, IDFA’s members are dedicated to making safe, delicious products that nourish and sustain people while delivering for our economy.”

Users of Dairy Delivers will learn how dairy products contribute directly to the U.S. economy, IDFA said. For example:

  • Milk adds $51.4 billion in direct economic impact and supports 64,400 dairy industry jobs.
  • Ice Cream adds $11 billion in direct economic impact and supports 26,100 dairy industry jobs.
  • Cheese adds $50.9 billion in direct economic impact and supports 52,200 dairy industry jobs.
  • Yogurt and other cultured products add $5.5 billion in direct economic impact and support 6,900 dairy industry jobs.
  • Dairy ingredients add $14.1 billion in direct economic impact and support 9,300 dairy industry jobs.

Using IDFA’s Dairy Delivers website, at www.idfa.org/dairydelivers, a user may click on an interactive map of the United States to learn how dairy impacts his or her community. The user simply selects an area of the country that interests him or her — options include the full United States, any of the 50 states or any of the 435 Congressional districts. The user then may select View/Print to generate a detailed fact sheet or economic impact report.

Throughout the month of June, IDFA said it will share 51 short social media-friendly videos on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (@dairyidfa) detailing the economic impact of the dairy industry in the United States as well as in each of the 50 states.