Practical measures for sustainable dairy production

In a preview article from the upcoming IDF Dairy Sustainability Outlook edition 3, we look at a case study in Ireland to harness practical measures within dairy agroecosystems to address climate change and biodiversity. Ireland is one of the 197 countries that have signed up to the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the rise […]

An action plan for a climate resilient dairy sector

In a preview article from the forthcoming IDF Dairy Sustainability Outlook edition 3, which will be released in June, we look at how the Dutch dairy sector is mobilizing to become further climate resilient. Following the Paris Agreement, the Dutch government approved a Climate Act in which the Netherlands’ climate goals are set. In the […]

Important outcomes from Codex meeting on nutrition and foods for special diets

On 24-29 November 2019, the 41st session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses was held in Dusseldorf, Germany. The meeting aimed to study specific nutritional problems and advise on general nutrition issues; to draft general provisions concerning the nutritional aspects of all foods; to develop standards and guidelines for […]

Dairy: nourishing a growing world population sustainably

  This year’s COP25, which launches in Madrid this week, will be the start of a crucial period for the environment. COP25 is the final COP before we enter the defining year of 2020, when many nations must submit new climate action plans. With climate change forecasts suggesting we must alter various aspects of modern […]

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 […]

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 […]