More than 100 scientists, marketers and dairy executives attended the fifth annual meeting of the Global Dairy Platform, which coincided with the World Dairy Summit held last month in Italy. Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Arla Foods and newly appointed GDP chairman, opened the meeting with a welcome address that highlighted growth in GDP’s membership. He also expressed the organization's gratitude to Andrew Ferrier, former GDP chairman and CEO of Fonterra, who recently retired.
The meeting included a variety of presentations that focused on GDP’s three priority areas:
- promoting the nutrient density of dairy;
- changing the perceptions of milkfat; and
- facilitating sustainability practices.
Bruce German of the University of California and Laurent Damiens of CNIEL spoke on milkfat issues. Vivien Godfrey, CEO of the Milk Processor Education Program, spoke on nutrient density. Peter Erik Ywema, general manager of the Sustainable Agricultural Initiative, and Jaap Petraeus, manager of corporate environmental affairs and sustainability, FrieslandCampina, spoke on sustainability.
Donald Moore, executive director of GDP, discussed the organization's progress through 2011 and also offered a presentation on nutrient density.
“This was our largest and most successful annual meeting yet,” said Moore. “Meeting participants rolled up their sleeves and got involved in discussion and strategy of the topics at large. We’re delighted with the progress we’ve made thus far and look forward to a busy, yet challenging, 2012.”
Global Dairy Platform was created in 2006 by CEOs of some of the world’s leading dairy companies who recognized a need to emphasize the positive benefits of dairy and bring milk back to the center of the table. Its members collaborate on worldwide issues affecting the demand for dairy. For more information, visit www.globaldairyplatform.com.
IDFA has been a member of GDP nearly since its inception, and Clay Hough, IDFA senior group vice president, attended the meeting. Cary Frye, IDFA vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs, is a member of the organization's Communication and Scientific Advisory Board, a group of international health and nutrition scientists, academics, communicators and other experts from the regulatory field who guide GDP's efforts.
For more information, contact Frye at cfrye@idfa.org.