PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL DAIRY PRODUCTION: THE CASE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This study critically examines the prospects and challenges of dairy production in the United States of America to provide insight into the sector’s growth potential, constraints, and pathways for sustainable development. Guided by three main objectives—to analyze the prospects of the U.S. dairy sector, identify key challenges affecting its growth and profitability, and determine practical solutions—the research reviews 16 peer-reviewed articles relevant to dairy production. Findings reveal that while the U.S. remains a global leader in dairy output, the industry faces significant hurdles, such as climate change, labor shortages, rising production costs, environmental regulations, and inadequate infrastructure. Furthermore, socioeconomic factors, limited access to modern technology, and policy inconsistencies continue to impede sectoral progress. Although the literature offers extensive documentation on the sector’s challenges and economic potential, only a few studies propose actionable solutions. The adoption of modern dairy technologies, improved government support through soft loans, policy reforms, and enhanced public awareness are among the recommended interventions. Despite these challenges, the U.S. dairy industry retains vast potential for economic contribution, food security, and rural employment. The study concludes by calling for integrated and sustainable approaches to mitigate sectoral challenges and harness the industry’s full capacity. Farmers should create associations of dairy farmers where best practices in terms of quality and quantity can be agreed upon and pricing can be mandated. It is also recommended that these technologies should be low-cost so that they are affordable to the average farmer