2020 has been a challenging year for many. Despite this, people worldwide have persevered and shown how resilient we can be in trying times. As we close a year for the history books, we can now turn our attention to what is to come. This blog post will examine three trends that we expect to see in 2021 across the dairy industry.

So, let us get moo-ving!

1. Health & Wellness

A focus on healthy eating and wellness goes beyond the traditional New Year resolution. Today, the world is increasingly making health a focal point of their life rather than a month-long fad at the beginning of the year. A recent McKinsey study has noted that over a third of consumers report making healthier eating choices. For some, this may mean an increase or decrease in their dairy consumption. In practice, consumers continue to shift their dairy consumption from less health-conscious options (goodbye, full-fat ice cream) towards healthier alternatives (hello, greek yogurt).

2. Supply Chain Transparency

Having a safe and reliable supply chain is table stakes. The next step in the evolving dairy supply chain is transparency. Consumers want to know where their dairy is coming from, how it's produced, its environmental impact, and much more. This trend will only grow as consumers become better educated about their food. A flexible, digital supply chain is imperative to track insights that consumers demand (hello, Milk Moovement).

3. Data-Driven Decision Making

Producers, Transporters, Cooperatives, and Processors alike are leveraging Data & Analytics to help them make more informed decisions. That is, Data & Analytics is instrumental in dairy. Whether it is on farm adjustments to improve milk quality or quantity, creating more efficient dairy routes, or better forecasting purchasing requirements. As the dairy industry progresses with its digitization efforts, an increased emphasis will be on finding partners that can provide the digital infrastructure (like Milk Moovement) to revolutionize their Data & Analytics capabilities.