World Dairy Summit urges collaboration against poverty, malnutrition

The International Dairy Federation (IDF) on Monday opened its 2019 World Dairy Summit in Istanbul, calling on sector representatives to work together to combat growing challenges facing the world today, including poverty, insecurity and malnutrition.

"If we work collaboratively, we can overcome all the challenges that face us and have a sustainable future," IDF President Judith Bryans said in her opening remarks.

The four-day summit with a focus on sustainable solutions to the problems, is drawing more than 1,000 participants including those from about a dozen of Chinese dairy producers.

Feeding the world's growing population with nutritious, sustainable, safe and affordable foods with limited global resources tops the agenda of the summit.

Bryans said the IDF has been doing its best to produce high-quality milk and other nutritious, safe and sustainable dairy products.

Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli spoke of his country's contribution to the sector, noting the dairy industry in Turkey now ranks eighth in the world and third in Europe.

"There is a strong focus on family farms across the country and a range of programs to support them," Pakdemirli said.

Turkey is now ready to expand its exports to the Middle East and the Far Eastern markets, said the minister.

"In this context, we have reached an agreement on veterinary health certificate to export milk to China," Pakdemirli said, noting 67 enterprises have officially submitted their applications to the Chinese system.

"Following their approval, low-risk dairy products will be exported to China," he added.

Wei Lihua, head of China's Junlebao Dairy, shared in his speech some concrete measures being adopted by his company for sustainable development.

"Through continuing betterment and improvement by means of sustainable development, we have lowered to a greater extent pollutant emissions and energy consumption," Wei said.

"We are hoping for the whole sector to work together toward a global development in a better and more sustainable way, so as to make our life much better with still better quality dairy products," he added.