GLOBAL DAIRY CONGRESS - PRIORITIES FOR FURTHER ACTION

I had the privilege of chairing the annual Global Dairy Congress in Athens last week. 191 delegates, 37 countries, 24 presentations - a 48 hour world industry community. What did we learn ? What did it achieve ? Lots, actually. Information, insights, contacts, deals of course. But also a focus on some unresolved priorities for further action. At least, this was my take on it:

1. Consumer education - Dairy has massive benefits to communicate, but needs to co-ordinate its resources and messages more effectively - a task that is beginning to be addressed by the Global Dairy Platform.
2. Nutrition labelling - There was no appetite for traffic lights and no enthusiasm for guideline daily amounts, but nor has a viable alternative been found.
3. Added value - There was a spring in the industry's step as a result of improved sales, and greater confidence as a result of innovation success, but also an awareness that many traditions remain to be updated.
4. Natural vs functional - This is a real dilemma for product developers, with so many natural attributes in the market mainstream and yet an expectation of gradual moves towards more sophistication and extra functionality on the fringes.
5. Face the fats - 0% fat was seen by some as the middle way to achieve all of the taste with none of the drawbacks.
6. Environment imperative - Numerous initiatives were in evidence from pack lightweighting to renewable energy, but dairy has a big footprint and will need support to improve recycling.
7. School milk - The chance of a UN School Milk Centre was raised and greeted. This merits confirmation with alacrity. To have a UN backed World School Milk Day is a material asset and a dedicated UN unit would be a genuine investment.