The Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit will set the stage for the culminating global event in September by bringing together diverse actors from around the world to leverage the power of food systems to deliver progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All actors of the food systems and the world leaders must focus on the challenge of providing nutritious food to millions of hungry people around the world, including children whose development and future depend on nutrition security.

Taking place in Rome from 26–28 July 2021, the Pre-Summit, the pre-event of the UN Food Systems Summit, aims to deliver the latest evidence-based and scientific approaches to food systems transformation from around the world, launch a set of new commitments through coalitions of action and mobilize new financing and partnerships. All of this will be achieved by fostering diverse engagement from all quarters to uncover the broadest range of solutions and have maximum impact, together. IDF and its members are actively engaged into the process.

Recognizing the vital role of the dairy sector

Milk is an important part of healthy balanced diets and the UN Food Systems Summit provides the perfect opportunity to spread the word. It is an opportunity for the global dairy sector and IDF to promote the contribution of dairy to address hunger and all forms of malnutrition, to show case our sector actions on all aspects of sustainability, to support the importance of science and innovation as well as the significant role of food safety to ensure food security.

Attending the event on behalf of the global dairy sector as a private sector delegate, IDF President Piercristiano Brazzale said:

“The dairy sector supports efforts to improve food systems to nourish the growing world population with healthy diets produced in a sustainable way. I am looking forward to contributing to the discussion that will lay the groundwork for a science-based, inclusive, balanced and productive UN Food Systems Summit, that recognizes the important role of animal-sourced foods in diets.”

Launching bold new actions for food

It is vital, according to Mr Brazzale, that we fully evaluate the many benefits of animal-sourced foods such as dairy when considering future diets.

“To meet the nutrient and protein needs of a growing global population without overwhelming the planet, animals and plants should not be thought of as competing entities, but rather as symbiotic food sources that provide different nutritional and environmental benefits. Dairy foods are nutritionally beneficial, environmentally sustainable, economically viable and culturally acceptable. Dairy needs to be a part of the bold new actions and strategies for the achievement of the SDGs.”

Dairy’s vital contribution across all action tracks

The Pre-summit provides an opportunity to focus attention on milk and raise awareness of dairy’s part in healthy diets, responsible food production, and supporting livelihoods and communities. This is supported by FAO data showing that more than one billion people’s livelihoods are supported by the dairy sector and that dairy is consumed by more than six billion people globally. The School Milk programs in place around the world have been nourishing more than 160 million children for several years.

IDF is supporting affiliated sessions on: Raising the Climate Ambition for the Global Agriculture Sector: An Approach from Dairy; Sustainable Proteins for all; Feeding the Future: Global Innovations in Sustainable Animal Protein; and promoting food safety to achieve the 2030 SDG agenda.

More information on IDF work on sustainability and how dairy contributes to the sustainable development goals

Read here the Joint GDP/IDF Statement – UN Food Systems Summit