The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) was formed in 1969 as an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture to promote California dairy products in an ever-growing and competitive marketplace. It operates on the principle that a healthy dairy industry is just as important to consumers as it is to milk producers, and that the ready availability of California dairy products contributes to the good health and well-being of the state’s population.
A Healthy Dairy Industry
The CMAB helps promote increased consumption of dairy products through effective use of:
- Promotion: The CMAB aggressively promotes dairy products with generic advertising utilizing print, radio, television and outdoor media, in-store promotions and publicity. The Board believes that these techniques have contributed to increased visibility and sales of dairy products.
- Education: The CMAB develops pamphlets, brochures, recipes and other educational materials to inform the public about California’s milk industry and the importance of milk and other dairy products in their diets.
- Research: The CMAB conducts ongoing research to improve food safety and cow herd health care and productivity.
A Professional Staff
CMAB programs are managed and coordinated by a professional staff headquartered in Modesto and South San Francisco, Calif. Staff members have backgrounds in a variety of specialties, including advertising, in-store product merchandising, retail management training, public information, public relations and home economics. The staff is assisted by outside agencies that create and execute various promotional programs. Research projects and programs are primarily conducted through the California Dairy Foods Research Center, but also under contract with food laboratories in the private sector and major universities in the public sector.
Funding
The CMAB is funded by dairy families through a special assessment based on milk production. Its programs and administration are supervised by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The Board
The CMAB’s activities are governed by a board of directors comprised of 24 dairy farmers. Each of the dairy farmers is nominated by their home districts (10 throughout the state) and are confirmed by the State Secretary of Food and Agriculture. A local advisory committee is also elected in each of the 10 home districts.