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.
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
–Geoffrey (Geoff) Smithers
–Dr Andrew Novakovic (US)
–Dr Aleksander Surazynski (PL), Professor Judith Ann Narvhus (NO)
–No recipient
–No recipient
–Helen Dornom (AU)
–Jean-François Boudier (FR)
–Dr. Robin Condron (AU)
–Pavel Jelen (CA), Phil Kelly (IE) and Kevin Marshall (NZ)
–No recipient
–Mohamed El-Hossieny Abd El-Salam (EG)
–Roger Abrahamsen (NO)
–George Davey (AU)
–Suk-Jin Cho (KR)
–Manuela Juárez (ES)
–Walther Heeschen (DE)
–Ylva Ardö (SE)
–Peter Parodi (AU)
–Shuichi Kaminogawa (JP)
–Donald Muir (GB)
–Lawrence Kenneth Creamer (NZ) and Pierpaolo Resmini (IT)
–Pieter Walstra (NL)
–Patrick F. Fox (IE)
–Robert R. Sellars (US) and Zdenko Puhan (CH)
–Douglas B. Emmons (CA)
–Ernest J. Mann (GB)
–Jean-Louis Maubois (FR)
IDF Prize of Excellence
The IDF Prize of Excellence is given in recognition of an outstanding recent contribution to the Work Programme of IDF.
The Prize honours an individual or group of individuals, who contribute as volunteers from among the grassroots of IDF, to the IDF Programme of Work in accordance with IDF’s purpose and following the five key concepts constituting SWIFT as a driver for the development of IDF.
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
–Dr. Choreh Farrokh
–Stephan Peters (NL)
–Meenesh Shah (India)
–Nicholas Gardner (USA)
–Erica Hocking (UK)
–Keith Johnston (NZ), Michael Hickey (IE) , Christian Kastrup (DK), Jackie Crichton (CA), Nick Gardner (US), Yoshinori Komatsu (JP), Allen Sayler (US), Aurelie Dubois (IDF staff), Osamu Suganuma (JP), Clement Benoist (FR) and Peter Wolfs (NL)
–Cary Frye (US)
–Jaap Evers (NZ)
–Keith Johnston (NZ)
–Sandra Casani (DK)
–Jointly Michel Hickey (IE) and Claus Heggum (DK)
–PG-AMC-C13 – Milk and milk products– Determination of nitrogen content – Part 1: Kjeldahl principle and crude protein calculation. Dr. Dave Barbano (US), Richard Johnson (NZ), Dr. Silvia Orlandini (IT)
–George Psathas (CY), Juan Romero (US) and Odd Rønningen (NO)
Yves Boutonnat International Milk Promotion Trophy
The annual IMP Trophy competition was initiated in 1989 by the IMP Group.
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
–Dairy Farmers of Canada: Dairy Farmers of Canada
–Dairy Australia: “Our Dairy Promise”
–United States of America: (USA) “Reset yourself with Dairy”
–CNIEL France: #Fromagissons initiative
–UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB): “The department of dairy-related scrumptious affairs”. The award is a means of showcasing the best generic advertising campaigns.
–The European Milk Forum (EMF): ‘Milk Moments’ campaign.
–Norwegian Dairy Council: One nutrient, hundred communication possibilities
–Ireland: Promoting dairy for teenage healthy living
–South Africa: Consumer Education Program of Milk SA
–Dairy Australia: Changing our image – it is what we make it”
–United States of America: Refuel with Chocolate Milk to Win the Race for Milk Sales
–Norwegian Dairy Council: ‘No mornings without breakfast – no breakfast without milk’
–Dairy Management Inc.: DMI (US) for the ‘Would You Like Milk With That?’ campaign
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Awards gallery
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