Dairy professionals from the Palestinian territories visited IDFA in Washington, D.C., this week to learn more about the structure, health and safety measures, regulations and successful practices of the U.S. dairy industry.
Participating in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, the professionals represented the operational and government sectors of the Palestinian dairy industry. The objectives for the tour included exploring ways that the Palestinian industry can achieve economies of scale in dairy processing, respond to increasing domestic demand for dairy products, expand in regional markets and improve quality control measures.
For the first stop on their multi-city tour, the professionals met with Connie Tipton, IDFA president and CEO; Dave Carlin, senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy; Bob Yonkers, IDFA vice president and chief economist; John Allan, vice president of regulatory and international standards; and Heather Soubra, IDFA director of executive office and special programs.
The group exchanged ideas and experiences working with dairy, and discussed several topics, including the U.S. dairy industry’s milk pricing system, food safety and sanitation practices, labeling regulations at the federal and state levels and the role that IDFA plays in the dairy industry and with its member companies.
Translations during the meeting were guided by Soubra, who is fluent in Arabic, and two translators who accompanied the group.
For more information, contact Soubra at hsoubra@idfa.org.
