Inspiring first IDF Women in Dairy Roundtable

During the busy and exiting days of the IDF business meetings and IDF World Dairy Summit (WDS), there was one meeting I was particularly excited for. On the Sunday the very first IDF Women in Dairy Roundtable was scheduled. A room filled with 42 women and men from 20 countries covering all aspects of the […]

Celebrating World School Milk Day: Nourishing to thrive

With the beginning of the school year in my home country, Belgium, journal headlines highlight again the issue of “empty lunchboxes”. The situation of children going to school without any food to consume during their lunch break seems to only grow. It is hard to imagine schools being a place where children learn and develop […]

IDF Delegation attending the World Dairy Industry Conference in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China

August 2023. IDF President Piercristiano Brazzale, Director General Caroline Emond, and Board member Laurent Damien participated at the World Dairy Industry Conference held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, in early August. The 3-day event was attended by Chinese and key international dairy experts. The main focus of the Conference was innovation. The IDF Delegation had […]

Who is really failing?

After reading a post by IFAD President, stating that: “Today’s food systems have failed to make nutritious diets accessible or affordable for all”, I cannot help but wonder: Is it really all the food systems’ fault? What about governments? What about international organizations? What about funding institutions? What about society in general? Can we really […]

Women and Dairy

Women and Dairy As food systems are facing a triple challenge of: 1) ensuring food security and nutrition for a growing population2) supporting the livelihoods of millions of farmers and others in the food chain, and3) doing so in an environmentally sustainable way, women are already part of the solution. In my role as DG […]

Welcome to the IDF Community!

I had the privilege recently to visit Kenya, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. One must spend quality time in the African region to appreciate the dynamism and engagement of the dairy value chain. I want to thank my colleagues for hosting me and providing me with the opportunity to meet with dairy leaders and government officials as […]

IDF welcomes the launch of the FAO document “Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes”

On April 25, I had the privilege to join a prestigious panel at the FAO in Rome for the launch of the first scientific review of the document “Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes”, requested by the member countries of the Committee on Agriculture – Subcommittee […]

Sustainable animal foods are necessary to the world

Despite the consensus on the substantial role of animal food such as dairy in healthy diets and sustainable food systems. Despite the strong scientifical evidence of the nutritional and health benefits of nutrient-dense milk and dairy foods. Despite the crucial contribution of dairy to UN SDGs and food security. Despite all the commitments and numerous […]