Paris Dairy Declaration

The Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability is the continuation of the Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam, where the dairy sector committed to:

“Build capacity in support of sustainable practices and provide enabling conditions to measure and report on sustainability outcomes, strengthen multi-stakeholder dialogue & consensus building, review progress, and ensure continuous improvement.”

The IDF Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability aims to achieve these goals by:

1. Raising visibility around the engagements the dairy sector is taking, including stocktaking of tangible and publicly known commitments, and its contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. Shaping the conversation on sustainability, considering all its dimensions.
3. Showcasing the positive agenda of the dairy industry on sustainability to address the ‘triple challenge’ of:

• Providing food security and a sustainable source of nutrition.
• Supporting the approximately one billion people who depend on the dairy sector for their livelihood.
• Transforming dairy systems to be more environmentally friendly.

   4. Creating awareness of public-private partnerships among national, regional, and international institutions and governments to facilitate the transition to an increasingly sustainable dairy sector.

Role of IDF in this Initiative

The International Dairy Federation (IDF) represents the global voice of the dairy sector and has been recognized as the leading source of expertise and scientific knowledge since 1903. As a science-based international organization, IDF can lead global, neutral, pre-competitive actions on sustainable dairy while encouraging collaboration through locally implemented private-public partnerships. Through its members and science-based work, IDF can identify best practices adaptable to varied local situations and disseminate this information.

Added Value of this Initiative

By 2030, nations will need to deliver the Nationally Determined Contributions of the Sustainable Development Goals and show their progress in achieving these goals. Building on the Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam of 2016, where the global dairy sector unitedly declared its engagement to the UN 2030 Agenda, this new initiative continues the journey by showcasing practical examples of the continuous actions of the global dairy sector. It recognizes the important role the dairy sector plays as part of the solution.

The IDF Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability will highlight the tangible commitments undertaken by dairy operators toward various pillars of sustainability (climate change, nutrition, health, economic security, natural resources stewardship, etc.) and send a clear message to governments, decision-makers, and the public about the dynamism of the dairy sector.

Furthermore, it will call upon public-private partnerships for governments, public and private institutions to create the business environment needed to facilitate the positive agenda of the dairy sector and help dairy operators and organizations do even more.

Contents of the Initiative

The IDF Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability is organized into four sections:

1. Stocktaking of Quantified Commitments: This section attempts to regroup the tangible engagements from various stakeholders of the global dairy value chain.
2. IDF Dairy Leaders’ Forum on Sustainability: Held at the end of the IDF World Dairy Summit (WDS) in Paris on October 18, 2024, this high-level event invites dairy decision-makers to share aspirations for the future. FAO, member states, and private foundations will discuss future involvement. Coordinated by FAO and IDF, this forum could become the future public-private multistakeholder platform on sustainable dairy, with the ambition to unlock solutions according to regional/national circumstances. This forum could take place on any occasion needed, such as COP, IDF, and FAO summits.
3. Press Conference: The forum will end with a press conference where the call for private-public partnerships will be emphasized by IDF and FAO.
4. IDF Dairy Sustainability Roadmap to 2030: The next step is for the IDF science program coordination committee to develop a work plan to prepare the dairy sector’s response for the 2030 agenda, potentially in collaboration with FAO.

Stocktaking of Sustainable Actions

The stocktaking does not attempt to be exhaustive and is evolving. It is restricted to the quantified and timetabled commitments over the coming years, which are publicly available. The Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability embraces all pillars of sustainability and goes beyond climate change. As an inclusive initiative, it incorporates commitments that may refer to the Dairy Sustainability Framework, as well as those from other projects.

Signatories of the IDF Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability

The signatories will be the IDF President and FAO representative. Governments, farmer organizations, CEOs of dairy companies, dairy groups, and other organizations will have the opportunity to support the overall initiative.

Role of IDF National Committees

International Dairy Federation’s National Committees can function as local relays to operators willing to be part of the initiative.

Agreement of Dairy Operators

It is not necessary to have the agreement of the dairy operators mentioned in the stocktaking, as all quoted commitments derive from free-access documents. However, IDF National Committees can assist in contacting the concerned operators to access the most up-to-date information.

Inclusion of Dairy Operators

All dairy operators can be mentioned in the stocktaking, provided they have formalized quantified and timetabled commitments over the coming years, which are freely accessible.

Evolution of the IDF Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability

As an evolving process, stakeholders committed to sustainable dairy will have the opportunity to share their continuous engagements.

Reporting Process

Dairy actors included in the stocktaking do not have to undertake a specific reporting process of their actions. The IDF stocktaking is an inclusive initiative, highlighting tangible commitments, regardless of their certification method. This initiative is not intended to impose any additional reporting and will use publicly available information.

 Launch Date

The IDF Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability was launched on October 18, 2024, at the closing of the Dairy Leaders’ Forum on Sustainability organized in Paris, following the conclusion of the annual IDF WDS.