Shaping the sector for a sustainable future
One of the main benefits of the IDF World Dairy Summit is the opportunity it presents to bring the sector together to discuss what the future holds for dairy, and how we, as representatives of the sector can help to shape it. I firmly believe that if we as a dairy sector have a bold […]
Coordinated action needed on mastitis
Healthy and productive dairy animals are vital to the provision of a safe, sufficient and nutritious food supply at a time of a rapidly increasing global population. Mastitis causes decreased productivity as well as food loss due to discarded milk. Coordinated action is essential if the dairy sector is to achieve optimal management of this […]
Dairy animals and their role in a sustainable food system
Over the past few months, discussions on how to develop sustainable food systems have been in the spotlight, and was one of the key topics at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi which I had the pleasure to attend. Nourishing (not only feeding with empty food) an increasing world population with an efficient use […]
World Food Safety Day: Food Safety, everyone’s business
IDF welcomes the first World Food Safety Day, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018, which will be celebrated on 7 June 2019 under the theme “Food Safety, everyone’s business.” It is indeed everyone’s business! Without food safety, there is no food security. In a world where the food supply chain […]
IDF contributes its expertise on standards for methods of analysis for dairy products to Codex
What is the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS)? The CCMAS is one of the horizontal Codex Committees that addresses Methods of Analysis and Sampling across all food commodities. This Committee has for a main role to consider, amend, if necessary, and endorse, as appropriate, methods of analysis and sampling […]
Family farming in a rapidly changing world
Introducing the UN Decade of Family Farming On 20 December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution by which it declared 2019-2028 to be the Decade of Family Farming. FAO and IFAD actively supported the campaign and have been called upon to co-lead the implementation of the Decade in cooperation with a […]
LEAP Sustainability Initiatives Forging Ahead
In 2019, IDF was pleased to take up the chairmanship role in the FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) partnership, an initiative focused on improving sustainability within the livestock sector. LEAP is a multi-stakeholder initiative made up of Governments, NGOs and members of the private sector, which is hosted by FAO. It develops comprehensive […]
Celebrating the Dairy Matrix on World Health Day
On Sunday, the 7th of April, World Health Day was celebrated, a day which highlights the importance of global health and focuses on the ways in which we can improve it. The relationship between diet and nutrition and the substantial impact on health is well known and has again been highlighted in a recent study in […]
Codex Adopts Changes to Harmonise Standards for Ripened Cheeses, Removing International Trade Challenges
Last week, at its 51st session in Jinan China, the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) adopted the changes needed to harmonise provisions in the 13 Codex Standards for ripened cheeses (Cheddar, Danbo, Gouda, Havarti, Edam, Samso, Emmental, Tilsiter, Saint Paulin, Provolone, Camembert, Brie and Coulommiers), removing an international trade challenge for exports of ripened […]
How the Dairy Sector is Tackling Food Waste
The dairy sector is committed to adopting sustainable practices and ultimately being a key contributor to sustainable food systems. Of course, tackling food waste is a critical part of that effort. As the chair of the Standing Committee on Environment at the International Dairy Federation (IDF), I am honoured to have the chance to speak […]