Dairy

The world's cattle population provides a wide array of services to the human, including production of milk and dairy products but also production of meat and provision of labour, and many other services. The continuous growth of the dairy sector therefore generates tremendous opportunities to the world's population. In order to ensure the positive development of the dairy sector however, a number of challenges lie ahead, which SAI Platform's Working Group on Dairy aims at helping facing. These include: maintaining food safety and quality of dairy products; improving dairy farms' economic viability and social progress; and increasing environmental protection and animal welfare.

SAI Platform's Working Group on Dairy was created in 2003 to help promote sustainable dairy production worldwide. Its objectives and approach are outlined in a Mission Statement on Sustainable Dairy Production. Following its creation, the group drew from the International Dairy Federation (IDF) and FAO "Guide to good dairy farming practice" as well as from consultations with producer representatives in order to develop comprehensive Principles and Practices for Sustainable Dairy Production. The document was finalised in September 2009 just before IDF's Summit in Berlin.

On February 10, 2009, SAI Platform and the International Dairy Federation (IDF) signed a Roadmap for Collaboration 2009 onwards. To see the details of that roadmap and its six main objectives, click here.

On 24 September 2009, the dairy industry made history signing a Global Dairy Agenda for Action during the World Dairy Summit in Berlin, Germany. SAI Platform was key in developing this Agenda and getting it endorsed by a coalition of 6 organisations representing about 1,5 million dairy farmers and 85% of the total dairy production worldwide. Click here to read more about this event.

The Working Group is currently working on two major issues: Climate Change / Green House Gas emissions, and Indicators of Sustainable Dairy Production.

Arla Foods, Barilla, Cayuga Marketing, Danone, Delaval, First Milk, Fonterra, Friesland Campina, General Mills, Innovation Center for US Dairy, Mars, McDonald's, Mondelez, Nestlé, Novus, PepsiCo and Unilever are SAI Platform's members of the Working Group on Dairy. Didier Moreau (Danone), is the Working Group's Chair and Beth Sauerhaft (PepsiCo),  is the Working Group's Vice-Chair. The International Dairy Federation (IDF) also participates in the group meetings.