World Milk Day
Milk is an important part of a healthy balanced diet and annual World Milk Day provides the perfect opportunity to spread the word.
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Every year on June 1, World Milk Day highlights dairy’s essential role in global food systems—delivering economic, nutritional, and social benefits to millions worldwide. IDF and its members unite to amplify this message by promoting activities and celebrations taking place on and around this day.
World Milk Day history
World Milk Day was introduced in 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector. Each year since, the benefits of milk and dairy products have been actively promoted around the world, including how dairy supports the livelihoods of one billion people.
All aspects of milk and dairy are celebrated on annual World Milk Day, including their benefits with regards to health and nutrition, affordability and accessibility, and the sector’s passion and commitment to feeding our communities.
Celebrations on 1 June are global and marked in many countries all over the world, with the number of countries and activities are increasing every year, providing an opportunity for everyone involved in the sector to participate.
World Milk Day activities 2026 (TBC)
On June 1, World Milk Day celebrates dairy’s vital role in global food systems—providing economic, nutritional, and social benefits to millions worldwide. In 2025, the theme spotlighted our members by celebrating World Milk Day in their local time zones, starting in New Zealand, ensuring the sun never set on this global celebration. This year’s focus was on the essential role dairy plays in delivering quality nutrition to nourish the world. Dairy is accessible, affordable, and nutrient-dense, an indispensable part of balanced diets across the globe.
- Milking demonstrations and farm visits
- Games, competitions, and concerts
- Distribution of milk products, and
- conferences, seminars and information sharing
All are aimed at sharing information on the value of milk and illustrating the important role the dairy sector plays in communities, national economies and cultural aspects of societies.
A global success!
Thanks to IDF experts around the world for your tremendous support, which helped make it the biggest celebration yet.
Follow how our member countries celebrated
Canada celebrated World Milk Day by sharing a photo of their cow, Delicious, and she’s one of 150 milking cows on their family dairy in Chilliwack, BC, Canada.
Chile celebrated World Milk Day, by sharing videos of them on the farm.
India celebrated world milk day by sending photos of raising a glass to milk
Sweden celebrated World Milk Day, by sharing some inspiring photos at the dairy farm.
Switzerland celebrated world milk day by sharing themselves at the farm and photos of dairy production.
New Zealand celebrated World Milk Day by sharing a photo of the team at the Sustainable Nutrition Initiative. The Sustainable Nutrition Initiative® is a research programme of the Riddet Institute, hosted at Massey University in New Zealand. Their passionate scientists research sustainable nutrition across global, national and individual scales and have done work into the role dairy plays in their current food systems and for future nutrition scenarios.
Dairy is a vital part of global food systems, providing economic, nutritional & social benefits to many people around the world
