Announces new Board of Directors and IDF Dairy Innovation Awards
The International Dairy Federation IDF World Dairy Summit 2023 commenced on 16 October under the theme “BE Dairy: Boundless Potential. Endless Possibilities”. The US, the world’s 2nd largest milk producer, is hosting 4 days of sessions exploring the latest developments in dairy science, technology, knowledge and innovation from all over the world. The IDF World dairy Summit 2023 will also be an unparalleled opportunity for networking for dairy leaders and experts from all over the world.
This year marks the 120th anniversary of the International Dairy Federation’s establishment. The IDF has played a pivotal role in fostering dairy science and technological innovation worldwide and making substantial contributions to the sustainable development of the global dairy industry. With 39 member countries representing 74% of the world’s milk production, the IDF holds unparalleled influence in shaping the industry’s future.
IDF as the foremost advocate for scientific and technical expertise in the global dairy sector, and with the 2023 World Food Forum being hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the IDF’s General Assembly, comprised of diverse dairy-producing nations worldwide, underscores the significance of collaborative efforts. Dairy’s premier global gathering returns to the United States (Chicago) for the first time in 30 years, featuring dynamic programming, consisting of eight plenary sessions, and twenty-one concurrent break-out sessions, all led by world-renowned experts.
The IDF World Dairy Summit 2023 is aiming to foster collaboration, celebrate innovation, and shape the future of the global dairy industry. In addition to its robust program and networking opportunities, it is providing an unrivaled forum for stakeholders to share knowledge and drive dairy excellence globally. IDF has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with other key stakeholders like ICAR, the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR), and IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture).
As IDF President Piercristiano Brazzale emphasized “IDF World Dairy Summit 2023 is an international congregation of dairy enthusiasts, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders that holds the key to transforming dairy’s promise into a vibrant reality. The summit forges a united front in advancing dairy excellence across the globe”.
New Board of the International Dairy Federation
On October 15, 2023, The International Dairy Federation (IDF) held its Board of Directors election. Dr Meenesh Shah serving as Chairman & Managing Director at India’s National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Dr. Yun Zhanyou, Vice President of Yili Group are among the three newly elected Board of Directors at IDF.
Dr Shah has been associated with IDF since long in different capacities and has been instrumental in sensitising the world about the unique smallholder-based Indian dairying system in different international forums. He is the Member Secretary of the Indian National Committee and also a member of the Standing Committee on Dairy Policy and Economics.
Dr Shah mentioned that India contributes to more than 23% of the global milk production, and now will be representing the Board of IDF, which will ensure a more inclusive and better global dairying ecosystem. This will also help put forth the voice of millions of dairy farmers from the smallholder-based dairying system to the global forum and help design suitable policies, frameworks, systems and processes.
Dr. Yun Zhanyou, Vice President of Yili Group said “I’m honored and proud to be a part of the IDF board of directors, and it comes with a greater sense of responsibility. We’re excited about having closer communication with the global dairy industry and sharing the valuable experiences and accomplishments of Chinese dairy companies in areas like innovation research, digitalization, and sustainable development. Our goal is to work together and create more opportunities, unlocking the boundless potential of the global dairy industry”.
The Board of Directors is the governing body that manages the strategy of IDF, endorsed by the General Assembly to meet the needs of the constantly changing and dynamic dairy sector. The Board of Directors provide detail on general IDF operational policies and strategies, and the vision and the mission of the Federation. The Board supervises the execution of the decisions of the General Assembly, and makes recommendations on IDF policies and priorities to the General Assembly. IDF Board of Directors. Comprising nine industry associations and business representatives from member countries, this influential body serves as the primary hub for research, decision-making, and coordination within the IDF. The Board President, the Chair of the Science and Programme Coordination Committee, four Delegates of the General Assembly, two dairy sector representatives (one for farming and the other for processing) and the Chair of the National Secretaries Committee will be part of it.
IDF Dairy Innovation Awards
The IDF World dairy Summit also hosted the second edition of the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards 2023 on 17 October, aimed at showcasing the most innovative and groundbreaking innovations of global dairy. The IDF Dairy Innovation Awards is an International Dairy Federation initiative designed to celebrate and encourage innovative practices across the global dairy sector, which was launched in 2022 in partnership with Zenith Global and supported by headline sponsorship from Tetra Pak. With a particular focus on Sustainability, both in terms of environmental care and positive social impact, the awards seek to stimulate innovative practices that improve farming and processing of milk and dairy foods.
In this years edition, the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards received 173 entries from 26 countries, representing a 20% increase over last year’s entry number indicating Dairy industry commitment to innovation and sustainability throughout the multistage milk and dairy production value chain.
- Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices (Environment) awarded to Bioret Agri for Aqualim Thermodynamic and Dairy Australia for Environmental Tracker
- Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices (Animal Care) awarded to FaunaTech for FaunaTech tool
- Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices (Socio-Economic) awarded to Danone for transforming the food system by empowering Algerian Smallholder farmers
- Innovation in Sustainable Processing awarded to Hochschule Hanover for development of a RO-NF-UF membrane cascade to concentrate skim milk to a dry matter of > 48%
- Innovation in Marketing & Communication Initiative Building Dairy Category awarded to Dairy Farmers of Canada for Innovation in New Product Development with focus on Food Safety and Consumer Nutrition; Unison Process Solutions for Heist System; and Yili Group Ltd for Ambient Cheese Lollipop
- Innovation in Sustainable Packaging awarded to Yili Group Ltd for declaring “Your Love to the Earth with Actions” – SATINE Environmentally Sustainable Packaging with No Ink or Printing
- Innovation in Women Empowerment in the Dairy Sector awarded to Shreeja Milk for Shreeja Milk
- Innovation in Climate Action awarded to Lactanet and Semex, Canada
IDF is the leading source of scientific and technical expertise for all stakeholders of the dairy chain. IDF’s network of dairy experts has provided a mechanism for the dairy sector to reach global consensus on how to help feed the world with safe and sustainable dairy products. IDF members are National Committees, generally constituted by dairy organizations in each country and India is represented by the National Committee (INC) of the IDF.
