The United States National Committee of the International Dairy Federation (US-IDF), together with the International Dairy Federation (IDF), endorsed the Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam with an official signing at its annual membership meeting this week.

A joint effort between the IDF and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the declaration signals a recognition of the dairy sector’s commitment toward feeding the world with safe, sustainable products, and enhancing sustainability. In support of the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the declaration provides a framework for IDF sustainability actions and highlights IDF’s commitment to taking an integrated approach to promote sustainability, US-IDF said.

Signing the declaration were Chair Cary Frye, senior vice president, regulatory affairs, International Dairy Foods Association, and Vice Chair Shawna Morris, vice president, trade policy, National Milk Producers Federation, and Aurélie Dubois, technical manager, standards, IDF.

Aurélie Dubois highlighted that the declaration embodies the importance of dairy in feeding the world with safe and sustainable products, as well as a strong symbol of the collaboration between the dairy sector and the FAO, in helping to achieve some of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

“US-IDF is proud to join with others around the world endorsing the Dairy Declaration that builds upon the U.S. dairy industry’s commitment to sustainability, resulting in strong environmental, social and economic contributions of dairy,” Frye said.

Shawna Morris added that America’s dairy farmers now use 65% less water and require 90% less land to produce a gallon of milk than they did 70 years ago. 

“The U.S. dairy industry looks forward to continuing to partner with other signers of the Dairy Declaration in building upon dairy’s positive track record of providing consumers with the nutritious, responsibly produced products they want while continuing to further its commitment to providing a sustainable dairy food system in this country,” Morris said.