This episode features speakers from the ADSA 2025 Opening Session Panel: Designing Dairy 2045—Envisioning the Future of Cows, Dairy Products, and Farms. The panel explored the long-term future of dairy.
Timestamps:
Dr. VandeHaar begins by explaining the idea behind creating the panel discussion for the opening session. Additionally, he discusses his selection of the other three podcast guests as panel members. Importantly, the concept aligns with the visionary goals of Designing Dairy 2045. (2:02)
Next, Dr. Baes, was the genomics expert on the panel. Her talk focused on what types of data have been collected on dairy cattle in the past and in the future. She also discussed the collaboration needed among different disciplines to ensure the right information is being collected. This is essential for reaching the aspirations of Designing Dairy 2045. (4:54)
Following that, Dr. Hostens, was the data analytics expert on the panel. He is a veterinarian by training but has a strong interest and passion around big data. Hostens notes that a “gut feeling is good, but data is better.” He talks about a project where an existing language model was trained with all Journal of Dairy Science abstracts since 1917. This ensures that answers from chatbots would be fed by JDS knowledge. This ties into the futuristic goals of Designing Dairy 2045 by utilizing data-driven insights for dairy improvements. Dr. Hostens talks about other ways this type of approach could be used in the future to provide answers to questions on-farm. (8:09)
Meanwhile, Eve, is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Intelligence at DMI and was the food futurist expert on the panel. She notes that dairy’s image is shifting to that of a health and wellness food. The question then becomes what is the future of health and wellness, and what does the dairy industry need to do to build towards that future? Reflecting on the Designing Dairy 2045 initiative, she talks about the roles of data and artificial intelligence in enabling us to design the foods of the future. She advises that knowing more about your product than anyone else on the planet through technology and science allows you to anticipate what consumers are going to want and need in the future. (14:33)
Later, the panel talks about genetic selection to produce particular components “naturally” rather than through food processing. The panel discuss where the industry is headed in regard to total milk production and breeding dairy cows for health. They also cover providing tools for making wise use of resources, especially in developing countries. Moreover, they discuss how the future of big data could impact decisions made on-farm. This discussion is central to accomplishing the vision of Designing Dairy 2045. (20:12)
Then, Eve talks about the consumer who has (processed) collagen in their coffee each morning but also demands clean, whole foods. Consumers want it all. She envisions a future where consumers will know the truth about how foods work in their body because they’ll have the technology to measure it. The group goes on to talk about wearable technology like continuous glucose monitors. They explore the variability that exists in the human population compared to variation in Holstein cows, for example. This aligns with the transformation foreseen in Designing Dairy 2045. (35:05)
The guests talk about where the gaps are in technology – what else do we need to take the next step? Dry matter intake might be one, but Dr. Baes notes that the Danish have technology through video of the feed bunk that allows them to predict intake with surprisingly high accuracy. Improving such technologies is a step towards the Designing Dairy 2045 objectives. (41:59)
Panelists share their take-home thoughts. (47:07)
Conclusion
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