Organisations from around the globe are working on how to secure sufficient food supply and nutrition into the future for an increasing world population. The UN’s revised 2017 forecast sees the population rising to 8.6 billion by 2030 and 9.8 billion by 2050. Sustainable food production must deliver enough nutritional value.
In October 2016, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed a declaration to promote world sustainable milk production (The Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam). The dairy industry is committed to the sustainable development of milk production.
Dairy industry bodies and national committees in IDF member countries are supporting the commitment and signing the declaration. The Finnish committee added its name to the signatories on 1st August 2017. The declaration was signed by Riitta Brandt, Chair of the Finnish National Committee of the IDF and Executive Director of the Finnish Milk Processors and Dairy Products Wholesalers Association, and Dr Judith Bryans, President of the IDF.
The FAO considers dairy farming an important sector of primary production in securing the nutrition and livelihood of the world population. Dairy farming provides employment and secures livelihoods in poor countries also, and dairy foods offer very high nutritional values.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development guides operations towards sustainable development from the social, financial, health and environmental standpoints. Ren Wang, the FAO’s Assistant Director-General says the dairy industry plays an important role in reaching the UN’s sustainable development goals.
The Finnish National Committee of the IDF embraces the whole dairy sector: Education (University of Helsinki), research (Natural Resources Institute Finland), the authorities (Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira), primary production (Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners MTK), and industry organisations (Finnish Milk Processors and Dairy Products Wholesalers Association, and the Dairy Association under the Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation).
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/home/en/news_archive/2016_The_Dairy_Declaration_of_Rotterdam.html