Gil de Cardenas has doubled the dairy processor’s manufacturing capacity since his arrival in 2009.

The historic agreement will implement the worker-driven Milk with Dignity program in Ben & Jerry’s Northeast dairy supply chain.

In 1978, two guys named Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield forked over $5 to take a Penn State correspondence course on ice cream making. They then went on to invest $12,000, $4,000 of it borrowed, to open their first ice cream shop in a former gas station located in Burlington, Vt.

Some dairy plants can’t keep up with growing sales, while others find themselves with excess capacity. Contract manufacturing is proving to be a boon to both.

The milk drive will help support families in need.

The declaration signals recognition of the dairy sector’s commitment toward feeding the world with safe, sustainable products and enhancing sustainability.