By Andi Anderson
The first International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) held in the United States in 30 years concluded with over 1,240 dairy leaders from 55 countries gathering to celebrate IDF's 120th anniversary. The summit highlighted dairy's innovations, market opportunities, and significant contributions to global sustainability and food security.
IDF President Piercristiano Brazzale, along with Director General Caroline Emond and U.S.-IDF Co-Chairs Nick Gardner and Shawna Morris, underscored the importance of uniting the global dairy sector. They released a declaration statement urging governments, global organizations, and the food and beverage sector worldwide to support "Being Dairy."
The IDF WDS offered four days of dynamic programming, including main sessions and break-out sessions, focusing on policy, scientific and technical insights, and exclusive market analysis. Key highlights included the release of the World Dairy Situation Report 2023, the 2022-23 annual report, and the announcement of the winners of the second annual IDF Dairy Innovation Awards, recognizing innovative practices in the dairy industry.
"U.S. dairy is honored to have hosted this momentous IDF WDS 2023, bringing dairy's premier annual gathering to the United States for the first time in three decades," said Nick Gardner, who also serves as the Chair of the U.S. Committee to IDF. "IDF WDS 2023 participants have seen U.S. dairy's contributions firsthand, strengthening our collective ability to champion dairy's critical role in nutrition, food security, environmental stewardship, and more."
Throughout the summit, attendees engaged with global leaders, discussed dairy farming around the world, and explored opportunities and challenges in dairy processing. IDF's collaboration with international standard setting bodies was also a key topic.
The next IDF World Dairy Summit in 2024 will be held in Paris, with the theme "Dairy 4 the Future."
As IDF WDS 2023 came to a close, the global dairy sector is more inspired and energized than ever by the industry's consistent improvements and successes. It's a promising future for dairy.
The International Dairy Federation (IDF) serves as the leading source of scientific and technical expertise for stakeholders in the dairy chain. With over 1,200 dairy experts across 39 member countries, IDF represents 74% of global milk production and provides invaluable scientific and technical information relevant to the dairy sector.
Photo Credit: World Dairy Summit
Categories: Illinois, Livestock, Dairy Cattle