Dairy Processing - June 2021 - 58

ASSOCIATION INSIGHTS
A model for
PROGRESS
US Dairy's sustainability efforts should be the
standard for the UN Food Systems Summit.
by Danielle Quist & Becky Rasdall | IDFA
T
he United Nations is scheduled to convene the
UN Food Systems Summit (FSS) at its New York
headquarters in September 2021. The summit
represents part of the broader Decade of Action to achieve the
global UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
While the outcome of the FSS will not be put to a UN
member vote, most expect the final outcome of the FSS to
be a document urging member states and stakeholders to
take bold actions to achieve healthier, more sustainable and
equitable food systems.
That's a goal shared by the US dairy industry and other
farm and food manufacturers. But based on documents
available on the FSS website, it appears that the organization's
leadership and online discussions so far fail to acknowledge
the positive actions and impact of US food and agriculture
systems. As a result, US farm and food policy experts
are concerned that US agriculture generally, and dairy
specifically, will be unfairly criticized at the summit, and
that the dairy industry's role in nutrition and its hard work
to embrace innovation, animal welfare, worker safety and
environmentally responsible practices may be dismissed as
inadequate.
The dairy industry has been working collectively to
advance global sustainability goals on multiple fronts:
Environmentally, a large percentage of the industry has
united to commit to net zero emission by 2050 and the NZI
initiative is working on tools for farmers to reach those goals.
58 JUN 2021 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy processors and farmers are actively innovating toward
more recyclable packaging, improvements in water quality
and reducing water use and developing new biodiversity
protection programs.
Nutritionally, there is no question that dairy plays a
critical role in feeding the world and providing sustainable
and affordable nutrition. In fact, the US Departments of
Agriculture and Health and Human Services' 2020-2025
Dietary Guidelines for Americans stated most Americans
should consume more dairy.
The US dairy industry's commitment to sustainability
is clear; it is not just working toward shared sustainability
goals; in many respects, the US dairy industry is leading
global progress. The FSS creates a timely opportunity for
the Biden administration to reignite the US government's
global leadership and advance key US priorities. Those
priorities include reducing food and nutrition insecurity and
combating climate change, while highlighting positive steps
US farmers and processors are already achieving toward the
UN Sustainable Development Goals.
At the same time, US representatives at the FSS must
present the positive impact of dairy, and importantly, ensure
that key trade and regulatory principles are maintained.
To that end, IDFA is encouraging US representatives to the
UN FSS to share dairy's message and support the value of
science-based policies, agricultural innovation and rule-based
international trade. IDFA and other dairy and agriculture
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