At the highly anticipated Gala Dinner of the IDF World Dairy Summit 2024, held on October 17 in Paris, France, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) presented its most prestigious awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the global dairy sector. These honors celebrated excellence in dairy science, leadership, and promotion, reflecting IDF’s commitment to innovation and quality in dairy worldwide.

The awards presented were the IDF Award, the IDF Prize of Excellence, the Standing Committee Leader Recognition, and the Yves Boutonnat International Milk Promotion Trophy.

IDF Award

The IDF Award is a prestigious honor recognizing remarkable contributions to global dairy progress. Established in 1998, this award celebrates individuals whose work has significantly advanced dairy science and contributed to the industry’s ongoing success.

This year, the IDF Award was presented to Geoffrey (Geoff) Smithers, a world-renowned dairy scientist and technologist. Smithers has made groundbreaking contributions to dairy processing technology, ingredient innovation, and dairy science, which have transformed and modernized the global dairy landscape. His visionary approach and entrepreneurial spirit have led to many research outcomes successfully translating into marketplace success, making him a highly deserving recipient of this prestigious accolade.

IDF Prize of Excellence

The IDF Prize of Excellence honors individuals or groups who contribute to IDF’s Program of Work as grassroots volunteers, embodying the core principles of Speed, Worldwide visibility, Impact, Focus, and Transparency (SWIFT).

This year’s IDF Prize of Excellence was awarded to Dr. Choreh Farrokh. With a PhD in Food Science, Dr. Farrokh has built a distinguished career in dairy science and technology, particularly in microbiological hygiene. Her contributions to IDF’s Standing Committee on Microbiological Hygiene (SCMH) have significantly enhanced IDF’s global reputation and expertise. Her unwavering dedication over the past decade has made a lasting impact on the dairy industry.

Standing Committee Leader Recognition

The Standing Committee Leader Recognition acknowledges exceptional leadership within IDF’s Standing Committees and Task Forces. This award highlights individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in steering their committees toward high-quality contributions, constructive collaboration, and productive outcomes.

For 2024, the Standing Committee Leader Recognition was awarded to Francois Bourdichon (Standing Committee on Microbiological Hygiene – SCMH). He was commended for this exemplary efforts in driving his committee and fostering cooperation with IDF staff to achieve important milestones.

Yves Boutonnat International Milk Promotion Trophy

The annual Yves Boutonnat International Milk Promotion 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 and marketing communication. The Yves Boutonnat International Milk Promotion Trophy this year went to Dairy Farmers of Canada.

About the International Dairy Federation
The International Dairy Federation (IDF) is a leading source of scientific and technical expertise for all stakeholders of the dairy chain. With a global network of dairy experts, IDF helps the dairy sector provide safe, nutritious, and sustainable products.