Turkey may not be the first place one might think of to hold a dairy summit, but as the 10th largest dairy producer in the world with 18million bovines, over 500,000 dairy farmers producing 22billion tonnes of milk per annum Turkey certainly holds its own with exports, we were told, equating to over 220million US dollars per/year.
The Summit was an extraordinary opportunity to learn more about and share our own experiences of the dairy sector: from trade insight and market operation to female empowerment, nutrition and sustainability.
The Farmers Roundtable event provided the chance to discuss these issues and more with farmers from across the world. As expected, there was much alignment on major concerns, including climate change, activism and labour shortages, although perhaps less so for some of the developing nations for whom dairy is still seen as a way out of poverty, a way to empower women, to ensure children receive adequate nutrition and an opportunity to drive economic growth.
There was a big focus on sustainability this year, timely considering the Conference took place in the same week as the UN Conference on Climate Change. It provided attending countries with the opportunity to demonstrate just how they are tackling the issue, how they are working towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and stressed the importance of agricultural production systems from around the world being seen as part of the solution. For instance, the Kenyan dairy industry demonstrated how they were contributing to the SDGs through the use of motorcycle mounted cooling units to transport milk from farm to processing facilitates.
There was some discussion surrounding the growth in alternative drinks and the impact this is having predominantly on the Western dairy producing countries, however the message came through clearly from nutritionists, economists and industry experts that it is imperative that the agricultural industry does not mistake the loud, well-funded voices of the privileged few as a proxy for the needs and demands of the masses. With 815m people suffering from chronic undernourishment (WHO) and poverty remaining the principal cause of hunger, agriculture and dairy has a huge role to play in improving the health and livelihoods of people on a global scale. As one South African Dietician, Maretha Vermaak, said:
“the nutritional importance of dairy products in the context of a balanced diet and the key role dairy plays in helping to reduce non-cognitive disease cannot be denied”
We must also congratulate AHDB Dairy and Dairy UK whose joint dairy marketing campaign the ‘Department of Dairy Related Scrumptious Affairs’ was awarded the International Milk Promotion Group Yves Boutonnat Trophy at the Summit. The campaign uses humour to remind people of their love of dairy focusing on taste, enjoyment and was shortlisted as the best advertising campaign, seeing off tough competition from other countries including the French and the Swiss.
And finally, it wouldn’t have been a visit to Turkey without trying some of their traditional desserts such as the buttery Baklava in all its different shapes and sizes!
Visit to Aksut and Aksa dairy farms:
Gala Dinner with Australian Dairy Connect Chairman Adrian Drury and UK representatives from Dale Farm and Dairy UK:
