Dairy Producer Advocates for Dairy Industry and Women's Rights in Ag

Mary Kraft, a dairy producer and co-owner of Kraft family dairies in Northeast Colorado serves as the American Ambassador for the Global Dairy Platform at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. She discusses her involvement and goals for an upcoming trip to Rome, where she will speak about the importance of dairy and animal agriculture.

“Dairy is one of the high-value proteins that you can possibly have, you should not cut it out of your diet. So vegan stuff is not important. Well, it's important but it's not the way to go if you're trying to raise people with good brain power, good skeletal systems, people who will last into their 60s 70s, and 80s and not have all sorts of health issues.”

Another component that Kraft advocates for is women's rights in other countries for women who are engaged in animal agriculture. She explains that in the US women can choose to own a dairy or business owner a car, choose who to marry and what job to have. However, in other countries, that is not always the case. Thus the US dairy industry is working to give women a voice.

“(The) last three years has been a lead up for us doing something at the FAO where there was actually a statement about how important women in agriculture and women as part of the economic face actually are and how much they need their own independent rights as a human being.”

Mary Kraft, American Ambassador for the Global Dairy Platform.