It was an honour for IDF Director General Laurence Rycken to address the Sustainability Forum of the World Dairy Industry Conference in Hohhot (CN), bringing together dairy leaders, researchers, experts and industry partners from around the world.

In her remarks, Ms. Rycken highlighted the important role dairy plays in providing high-quality nutrition, supporting rural livelihoods and contributing to economic development, while continuing to advance environmental stewardship and more sustainable production systems.

Across the world, farmers, processors and value-chain partners are making progress in improving productivity, reducing environmental impacts, protecting natural resources and enhancing animal welfare, proving continually that dairy is not only part of the challenge but also part of the solution.

From innovations in feed and farm management to renewable energy, circular economy approaches, digital technologies and stronger supply chain collaboration, the sector is actively developing solutions that improve resilience and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A key message from the forum was that sustainability must be grounded in science and strengthened through collaboration. No single country, company or organization can achieve this transformation alone. International cooperation, knowledge exchange and the sharing of best practices remain essential to accelerating progress towards our common goals.

IDF was pleased to contribute to these discussions and looks forward to continuing to work with partners across the world to support a resilient, vibrant and sustainable dairy sector that nourishes both people and the planet.