IDF World Dairy Summit opened

The IDF World Dairy Summit 2023 has opened under the theme “BE Dairy: Boundless Potential. Endless Possibilities”. The United States, the world’s second-largest milk producer, will host four days of sessions exploring the latest developments in dairy science, technology, knowledge and innovation from all over the world. The summit will also be an opportunity for networking for dairy leaders and experts from all over the world.

Being held in the US for the first time in 30 years, the summit consists of eight plenary sessions and 21 concurrent break-out sessions, led by experts.

This year, the IDF World Dairy Summit coincides with IDF’s 120th anniversary. It has been acting as the dairy sector’s voice of science and technology since 1903. As part of this milestone, IDF’s General Assembly has released a statement which aims to “reinforce the importance of working together and empowering the next generation of leaders within the global dairy sector to maximize dairy’s Boundless commitment and Endless ambition to sustainably nourish people and communities and to make a positive difference in the world”.

To celebrate this occasion, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of IDF’s collaboration with stakeholders such as Codex Alimentarius and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), special events and activities have been organised. A special session will be dedicated to this relevant joint work.

In the context of the summit, IDF has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with other key stakeholders like the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The IDF World Dairy Summit is also hosting the second edition of the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards, aimed at showcasing global dairy innovations.

Other highly anticipated content includes:

• Plenary sessions on global economic outlook and marketing trends, successes in international standard setting, nutrition and policy and challenges and opportunities within dairy farming and processing.
• Multiple concurrent sessions on how to best adapt to and take advantage of opportunities in the rapidly evolving landscape around precision nutrition and sustainability, as well as navigate economic factors, food safety and dietary guidance.
• Discussions on hot topics, like a panel on dairy science and technology, including how novel cell-based fermentation technologies will impact dairy’s future.

The summit also has networking opportunities with over 1000 delegates attending, including nearly 100 c-suite executives and more at senior executive levels at leading dairy organisations. There will also be evening social events to give participants the opportunity to network. Dairy farmers will have a special opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow farmers from around the globe at a dinner hosted at the Chicago Sports Museum.

Following the primary agenda, participants will join technical tours to get a first-hand look at the best of American dairy production, from farms to processing facilities, research centres and labs.

The 2023 IDF World Dairy Summit is being held in Chicago, USA, from 16–19 October 2023.

Image credit: iStock.com/kasto80