The Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability was recently adopted by the International Dairy Federation (IDF) at the culmination of the 2024 World Dairy Summit.
The declaration states that the global dairy community is committed to a sustainable transformation of the sector.
The IDF expresses support for the definition of sustainability adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), which confirms that sustainability requires meeting the needs of present and future generations, while ensuring profitability, environmental health, and social and economic equity.
Dairy Council for Northern Ireland chief executive, Ian Stevenson, attended the Paris event.
“Specifically, the declaration brings to light the tangible commitments already undertaken by dairy sector operators in addressing the various pillars of sustainability, now universally recognised on an international basis.
“These are: climate change, nutrition, health, economic security and the effective stewardship of natural resources.
“The declaration has also sent out a clear message, confirming that the international dairy industry is extremely dynamic in helping to drive this agenda,” Stevenson said.
But it also highlights the need for enabling environments to leverage and scale up actions in order to deliver against the United Nation’s 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
World Dairy Summit
Future policy agendas will be important in this regard as will the associated issues of finances and partnership working.
“While the declaration projects a very positive future for the international dairy sector, the Paris summit, across the entire remit of the event, succeeded in communicating the tremendous contribution dairy farmers and processors are already making to the lives of so many people around the world,” he added.
And these figures are truly staggering.
According to the Global Dairy Platform, more than six billion people across the world consume milk and milk products while farming, processing and related activities deliver much needed jobs and wealth creation opportunities within communities worldwide.
The 133 million dairy farms around the world are estimated to support the livelihoods of one billion people – that’s approximately 12% of the global population.
“In turn, this creates higher levels of social and economic cohesion with children, in particular, benefitting in so many ways. A case in point is the provision of enhanced educational opportunities for young people.
“And that’s not all – improved nutrition has a positive knock-on effect on overall health span,” it said.
Meanwhile, milk production and consumption levels continue to increase around the world.
“Gira Consulting are forecasting that global collections of milk are expected to increase by 1.6% per annum between 2024 and 2029 with India and Pakistan accounting for half of that growth.”
“Global cheese consumption is on the up with an additional 1.1% of cheese forecast to be produced per annum at world level over the next five years.
This was another key message delivered during 2024’s World Dairy Summit.”
