More than 90 scientists, marketers and dairy executives attended the sixth annual meeting of the Global Dairy Platform, which coincided with the World Dairy Summit held earlier this month in Cape Town, South Africa. Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Arla Foods and GDP chairman, opened the meeting with a welcome address using the theme “The Whole Story” that highlighted the 2012 achievements of GDP. He provided an overview of the current world marketplace forces that are challenging the dairy industry to produce enough nutritious food, both safely and sustainably to feed the growing global population.
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.
Donald Moore, executive director of GDP, discussed highlights of the organization's activities through 2012 and offered a deeper look into its strategic direction. Cindy Schweitzer, GDP technical director, presented the "Reason to Believe" in dairy and said GDP would push to have more scientific reports and peer-reviewed articles published in the coming year.
Jay Waldvogel, senior vice president of international strategy for Dairy Farmers of America, unveiled a new marketing architecture that demonstrated how dairy manufacturers can connect on an emotional level with consumers. He said it's time to move from simply defending dairy to promoting its power as a sustaining life force. GDP is taking steps, including creating a video for members to use, to help consumers gain a deeper understanding of dairy's role in a sustainable diet.
During the meeting, GDP released a new report, "Diet and Public Health," that offers a snapshot of world health from the United Nations and the World Health Organization. It also showcases research on the role of dairy, diet and public health and asks the question "Will the path we are on lead to improved health outcomes or is it time for a fresh approach?" Read the report here.
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. 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. Frye attended the meeting along with Bob Yonkers, IDFA vice president and chief economist.
For more information, contact Frye at cfrye@idfa.org.