Recognition
Recognising excellence and rewarding achievements in the dairy sector
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IDF awards
Every year, dairy champions are honoured for their leadership, dedication, and commitment to the sector. Whether it’s being creative, offering high-level strategic and technical advice, or helping the IDF to communicate more effectively with the wider dairy sector, each of these winners has played a key role in ensuring the interests of the industry remain centre stage. Their commitment to the global sector is resolute and is deeply appreciated.
IDF Dairy Innovation Awards
The IDF Dairy Innovation Awards is designed to encourage and celebrate innovative practices across the dairy sector
About the award
Dairy actors around the world have been actively engaged over the years in improving the farming and processing of milk and dairy foods. The IDF Dairy Innovation Awards are designed to encourage and celebrate innovative practices across the dairy sector and their contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony at the IDF World Dairy Summit. Entry is open to IDF members as well as non-member individuals, including dairy farmers, dairy cooperatives, dairy processors and dairy research operators, as well service and equipment companies for the dairy sector.
All the winners of the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards 2024
Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices – Environment
- Teagasc, Bord Bia and ICBF – AgNav – Ireland. AgNav is the new innovative sustainability platform providing Irish dairy farmers with accurate and verifiable data and supporting decision making on farms to help reduce emissions and enhance water quality. Its overarching objective is to help farmers improve productivity and ensure economic viability, while setting new environmental sustainability standards.
Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices – Animal Care
- Amul Dairy – Amul Dairy – India. Amul Dairy has pioneered the use of homeopathic medicine for dairy animals, aiming to combat antimicrobial resistance. Through innovative treatments for 26 common ailments, over 68,000 animals were successfully treated, reducing antibiotic usage and promoting sustainable dairy farming. Till May 2024 Amul has manufactured 3.30 lac homeopathic medicine bottles of 30 ml and distributed 1.80 Lac till May 2024. This holistic approach enhances animal and public health.
Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices – Socio Economic
- National Dairy Development Board – Sundarban Cooperative Milk & Livestock Producers’ Union Limited – India. Sundarban Cooperative Milk & Livestock Producers’ Union Limited, the first all-women organic dairy cooperative in the Sundarbans, empowers over 4,500 marginalized women farmers. By integrating organic dairy production with multi-commodity agriculture, it provides sustainable livelihoods, elevates women’s social status, and fosters socio-economic transformation, ensuring prosperity and sustainable development in the
Innovation in Sustainable Processing
- Asha Mahila Milk Producer Company Limited – Asha Mahila Milk Producer Company Limited – India. Solar based Instant Milk Chillers – A pathbreaking off grid sustainable initiative for geographies characterised by small holder dairy farmers.
Innovation in Sustainable Packaging
- Danone – Actimel removes the plastic sleeve – France. Danone has taken strong commitments towards circular and low-carbon packaging. The Actimel brand embodies this packaging transformation and in 2023, removed the plastic sleeve on its iconic bottle, allowing it to reach 99% recyclability and reduce plastic consumption across EU!
Innovation in New Product Development – Human Nutrition
- Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd – Satine Active Lactoferrin Organic Pure Milk – China. Satine Active Lactoferrin Organic Pure Milk, through technology innovation, has achieved a high retention rate of 90% active lactoferrin in ambient temperature milk, with 8 times the active lactoferrin nutrition, safeguard consumers’
Innovation in New Product Development – Equipment
- Unisensor – Aurox System – Belgium. Imagine the ease of a coffee maker, translated to milk antibiotic screening. The aurox combines robotics and lateral flow test tech in an unprecedented simplicity, aiding dairies and truck drivers’ workload every day. Its failproof design delivers industry-leading reliability, ready for seamless integration into milk transportation and storage systems.
Innovation in Climate Action
- STgenetics – Ecofeed® – USA. Ecofeed® – Genetics for permanent and cumulative reduction of methane emissions based on more than 25,000 progeny records for feed efficiency. By identifying animals with superior feed efficiency and reduced methane, producers can enhance profitability while promoting a sustainable dairy industry and world for the next generations of farmers and consumers.
Innovation in Women Empowerment
- International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) – Women in Dairy network – USA. IDFA’s Women in Dairy network works to improve recruiting, retention, and gender equality within the U.S. dairy sector through data-based reporting and tools, C-suite engagement, and by fostering networking and professional and leadership development. IDFA also published the 2024 State of Women in Dairy Report, which summarized survey findings and industry-wide recommendations regarding the treatment of women in dairy.
Innovation in Marketing & Communication
- J-milk – J-milk – Japan. In order to combat calcium deficiency in approximately 10 million children, we have launched and implemented about 20 projects in cooperation with stakeholders from the dairy industry, schools and Parents of children who learn about the campaign are 45% more willing to give milk to their children on weekends. It was clear that the work on the project had a positive effect.
IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Early Career Scientist Prize
The award has been named in honor of Professor Pavel (Paul) Jelen
About the award
IDF is pleased to announce the establishment of a new award and prize for ‘early-career’ scientists and/or technologists to recognize their work in the dairy science and technology field – The IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Early Career Scientist Prize. The award has been named in honor of Professor Pavel (Paul) Jelen, a Czech born scientist who has spent his career based in Canada and the US, developing academic work on Dairy Food Science and Technology, and encouraging, mentoring, and educating students and early-career scientists and technologists, and who recognizes the importance of communication. The award and prize will provide an opportunity for awardees to showcase their work at the annual IDF World Dairy Summit (WDS), and thus provide opportunities for further education and mentoring, and to enhance employment opportunities and options. It will also allow awardees to observe the business and operational workings of IDF.
Please, find more details on the award here.
All past recipients of the IDF Professor Pavel Jelen Early Career Scientist Prize
2024 – Maria Frizzarin – First prize
2023 – Davor Daniloski – First prize
2022 – Dr Angela Costa – First prize
IDF Award
The prestigious IDF Award is given in recognition of remarkable contributions to global dairy.
First presented in 1998, the IDF Award recognizes remarkable contributions to progress in dairying worldwide. It is awarded on the basis of submissions by IDF members, the IDF National Committees.
About the award
The IDF Award has the form of a piece of art and a medallion with an inscription.
By granting the Award, the IDF wishes to pay tribute to extensive contribution to dairy science, adding to the scientific knowledge about the benefits of dairy foods.
All past recipients of the IDF Award
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IDF Prize of Excellence
These concepts are:
- Speed
- Worldwide visibility
- Impact
- Focus
- Transparency
These ensure that the organization continues to deliver timely outcomes that meet expectations and the changing needs of IDF membership.
In 2020, the IDF Prize of Excellence was awarded to IDF SCFA Action Team on Alignment of food additives between Codex dairy standards and the Codex General Standard for Food Additives Keith Johnston, members Michael Hickey, Christian Kastrup, Jackie Crichton, Nick Gardner, Yoshinori Komatsu, Allen Sayler, Aurelie Dubois, Osamu Suganuma, Clement Benoist and Peter Wolfs.
Winners of the IDF Prize of Excellence to date
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Yves Boutonnat International Milk Promotion Trophy
IMP is a permanent action team of the IDF Standing Committee on Marketing, it is a means of showcasing, to dairy farming and industry delegates attending the annual IDF World Dairy Summit, the best generic advertising campaigns created recently amongst the group in the key areas of innovation, nutri-marketing, and marketing communication. In honour of one of their founding members, Yves Boutonnat, it is now called the Yves Boutonnat International Milk Promotion Trophy.
Entries by marketing experts that are members of the IMP (International Milk Promotion) group are submitted to the IMP Group mid-year meeting where they are subject to peer-review, analysis and judging. The top 3 are selected to present their campaign and the winner is elected by secret ballot. The winner is considered the best in promoting the nutritional benefits and the healthy image and lifestyle of dairy foods.
Previous winners of the IMP Yves Boutonnat Award
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