Membership categories

For dairy organisations that are just initiating their sustainability journey and have limited resources and expertise in support of implementing a sustainability program, the DSF is introducing the Stage 1 Membership.  This level of membership removes the complexity of the DSF implementation process and provides support for the individual member organization in delivering over an agreed timeline the commitments of an Implementing or Aggregating DSF member.

The DSF has developed this level of membership through a multi-stakeholder approach in making the DSF more accessible and inclusive to dairy organizations globally.  Membership at this level is based on the outcomes of a conversation with the DSF secretariat.  If you are just initiating your dairy sustainability journey and are not sure how best to start and have limited resources at your disposal to implement such a program, please contact the DSF Secretariat via the joining form.

This category of membership is being introduced as a “work in progress”.  The DSF will implement several Pilots and will work with pioneering members, who initially join the DSF at this level, to further enhance the approach based on implementation experience.  

May 2024 – with three pilots underway, the DSF is not currently seeking additional applications for Stage 1 membership. Organisations wanting to join Stage 1 should register their interest by completing the Join the DSF form and will be able to keep engaged through the newsletter, access to webinars and the Annual meeting.  

DSF Implementing Members are those organizations (such as dairy processors) who have committed to delivering a continuous sustainability improvement program in line with the DSF requirements which includes reporting annual progress to the DSF Secretariat.

DSF Aggregating Members are organizations who coordinate a DSF continuous sustainability improvement program for more than one dairy organization.  These can be a few organizations collaborating on sustainability or a sustainability program that covers a wider geography or even a country wide effort.  Focusing on improving the same priority criteria, the individual organizations implement their own unique sustainability programs, though for the DSF requirement, all quantify progress using the same DSF Indicator Metric.  The Aggregating member compiles an annual report from all parties and provides an annual report to the DSF.

DSF Affiliate Members are organizations who are not in a position to commit to implementing a dairy value chain sustainability program though want to publicly support the work of the DSF.

For more information about the benefits available to Implementing and Aggregating Members, please click here.