Highlights
- Canadian dairy is a quintessential local product: it takes only two to three days for milk to get from a farm to your local store.
- Canadian dairy supports thousands of farming families and more than 270,000 jobs across the country, bringing stability and economic opportunities to rural communities from coast to coast.
Buying Canadian has become a point of national pride, a steadfast act in the rapidly shifting global trade environment and an investment in Canada’s communities and economy.
Canadian dairy farmers have always been proud of the work we do to produce a reliable supply of milk for the local dairy that Canadians love, to the national standards they trust.
When you choose Canadian dairy, the impact goes beyond your fridge and our farms. Canadian milk strengthens our food security and sovereignty, fuels our economy and builds a more resilient food system that reflects our values.
Local products, national standards
With more than 9,000 dairy farms and 500 processing facilities spread across every province, Canadian dairy is a quintessential local product. It takes only two to three days for milk to get from a farm to your local store.
It’s all powered by a system called supply management, which helps Canadian dairy farmers produce the right amount of milk to meet the needs of Canadians. This means that a stable supply of the Canadian dairy you love is there when you want it.
That type of food security can’t be taken for granted in a world of increasing trade tensions, natural disasters and supply chain disruptions. It also grants us food sovereignty – the power of a country to control its own food supply. Canadian milk comes from Canadian farms, where farmers follow national standards that are among the highest in the world.
Every Canadian dairy farmer must follow a national quality assurance program called proAction®. These standards help keep our cows healthy and well cared for while keeping the milk they produce safe. The use of artificial growth hormones is banned in Canada, and all milk is rigorously tested to verify that there is no trace of antibiotics.
Thriving rural communities, national economic growth
As a dairy farmer from a small community in Manitoba, I’ve seen the impact of family-owned dairy farms on the local economy.
Canadian dairy supports thousands of farming families and more than 270,000 jobs across the country, bringing stability and economic opportunities to rural communities from coast to coast.
As business owners, dairy farmers are constantly reinvesting in their farms to increase productivity and reduce costs. While each operation is unique, our business success depends on the strategic investments we make in areas like technology, robotics, genetics, resource management and our people. As we act to keep our farms competitive, productive and efficient, there is a ripple effect in our communities.
Each farm fuels a network of local businesses and professionals: veterinarians, animal nutrition experts, farm input sales, trades, breeders, transportation and processing. All told, the dairy sector contributes $28-billion to Canada’s GDP.
Working toward a more sustainable food system
Canadian dairy farmers know the future depends on our actions today. That’s why we are committed to working toward reaching net-zero by 2050.
Already, the carbon footprint of a litre of Canadian milk is less than half that of the global average, making it one of the lowest in the world. Farmers continue to implement best practices and pilot innovative tools like on-farm greenhouse gas calculators, actions which help us to build resilience and environmental stewardship in the dairy sector.
A simple way to make a difference
So how do you find Canadian dairy? It’s simple: Look for the Blue Cow Quality Milk logo or the words “Product of Canada” on your milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy favourites.
When you do that, you can be confident you are supporting a Canadian product and an agricultural approach that strengthens our communities, our economy and our ability to feed ourselves now and into the future.
This article was published in The Globe & Mail on November 19, 2025.
