One of the seven /eight forms of waste (per Toyota) is Overproduction. It's frustrating to me that the U.S. government supports overproduction of milk.
“Today, the United States is already in a state of mass overproduction of milk and milk products, particularly in the form of butter. ‘From 1980 to 1985, total US milk production increased 11.5 percent (15 billion pounds) despite a 2.3 decline in average farm price.' The government currently buys this surplus of milk with public dollars in order to sustain the price of milk and to keep farmers in business. An increase in milk production exacerbates the existing milk surplus, driving down prices, and making it more difficult for the small or middle-sized dairy farmers to stay in business. ‘According to the governments own study, it will cost taxpayers over $500 million in increased milk support prices because the drug will flood the already drowning milk market, where the government supports prices.'”
The additional use of growth hormone exacerbates the problem — leading to more overproduction, which is disturbing (even if not considering the health and environmental impact of the hormone usage).
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. His most recent book is the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus. His latest book has been released as an "in-progress" book, titled Measures of Success.