This is the main discussion;

For this forum, we are going to think about innovation and competitive advantage as it relates to the dairy industry. The dairy industry is facing changing consumer preferences as consumers turn to dairy-free alternatives. Traditionally, this is an industry with very little change. Milk had always come from cows, and products like yogurt, cream cheese, butter, cottage cheese, etc. were relatively stable and unchanging.

However, now, there is a myriad of options that exist in the dairy aisles these days: soy/almond/silk/other protein-based milk; other dairy/non-dairy products such as yogurts, cheeses, sour creams, cottage cheese, etc.

How have you, as a consumer, been impacted by having a choice of these "alternative" dairy products? Please share with the class. To earn full credit, please tie in how these dairy-alternative products do or do not provide a competitive advantage (chapter 6) to their producers and how the dairy industry is experiencing innovation. Use concepts from the text to support your claims.

If you need a little help to get you started, here is a recent article on A2 milk. Reading the article is not required but may help give you insights into some changes in the dairy world.

https://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/at-least-lancaster-county-dairy-farmers-producing-increasingly-popular-but/article_b77635ce-69ac-11e8-acda-ef6ffab031d6.html

please respond to this discussion separately;

"Like many others, I grew up drinking traditional milk, but as I got older, I started trying different milk alternatives. The alternatives that I find myself returning to are almond milk and lactose-free milk. Both of these products share a competitive advantage as they are both lactose-free. But for some individuals, almond milk, and other plant source milk, are appealing due to being plant-based and avoiding milk sourced by potentially cruel dairy farms. These alternatives start to lose their advantage in the costs of production. The average production cost of regular dairy milk was $15.00 per hundredweight(Gillespie, Jeffrey. "Milk Cost of Production Estimates."USDA ERS - Milk Cost of Production Estimates, 1 May 2023,www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/milk-cost-of-production-estimates/milk-cost-of-production-estimates/#Recent%20Milk%20Cost%20of%20Production%20Estimates-2021%20Base.), meanwhile lactose-free milk had a production cost of $18.61 per hundredweight (Beck, Tim. "Dairy Financial Performance: How Did 2021 Compare to Previous Years?" Penn State Extension, 29 June 2022,extension.psu.edu/dairy-financial-performance-how-did-2021-compare-to-previous-years.) however, this disadvantage can be resolved with the use of technology and scale over time. As the book mentions, "The only thing we do know about the next 20 years is that innovation will continue to change our lives."(Chp. 7-1) With that said we are likely toward the top of the S curve for old technology and the bottom or middle of the S curve for the new technology since the price of production continues to rise year to year. "Early in a technology cycle, there is still much to learn, so progress is slow, as depicted by point A on the S-curve."(Chp. 7-1a) It's safe to say that we're all curious and enthusiastic about the possibilities that future technologies will bring to industries such as dairy. However, we also recognize the importance of being cautious and aware of potential risks."