As the global population continues to grow, food production must rise to meet increasing demands. The dairy industry is a highly dynamic sector of the agricultural market, from both a national and international perspective. The United States is encountering a unique issue in the industry when compared with overseas operations: the greatest American challenge is countering the drop in fluid milk consumption due to negative consumer perspective. In comparison, densely populated nations, such as China and other countries of Southeast Asia, are still struggling to balance consolidation and growth with resource usage and pollution. While economies, markets, and social attitudes toward the dairy industry vary between individual countries, a clear theme of increased quality and quantity of product with ever-decreasing input resonates globally. Sustainability is a practice ideology that is becoming more prevalent as it relates to the challenges of the dairy industry across the world. The traditional concerns such as water and land consumption and air pollution remain as relevant as always. However, developed dairy economies will find that sustainability challenges exist beyond the physical aspects of resources into social perspectives. An example is the falling fluid milk consumption rates in the United States due to consumer misconceptions and the increasing popularity of milk-alternatives. Well-established industries are moving toward transparency in their operations, or risk their survival in the fast-paced market shifts. Growth demands constant change and challenges. The evolution of today’s dairy farm is rooted in the difficulties that our predecessors faced. Like the industry always has, it will continue to meet obstacles head on, and create efficient, sustainable solutions out of struggle. Somewhere along the line may be an answer to the ever-present question: what is the future of the dairy industry?