A total of 181 people attended the event from six countries, and featured 52 speakers. To best breakdown some of the things I learned, tidbits are listed under three subheads: Pricing and exports, Data and trends, and Sustainability.

Pricing and exports

During the “Future of Global Milk Supply and Pricing,” Stephen Cain, director, economic research and analysis for the National Milk Producers Federation offered some good and bad news:

• Milk production is down, driven by tight margins. Margins reached an all-time low at one point in 2023. “There is little opportunity for growth, and beef prices were high, pulling cows out of the dairy stream.”
• Feed costs are down but still high.
• U.S. average hourly earnings are up.
• Milk prices are expected to rise in 2024, driven by lower supply.
• However, margins are expected to rise this year.
• The United States has captured more global milk demand. 
• Global milk production will not be robust this year. 
• The weakened Chinese economy will affect global demand. 
• Cheese exporting is a big opportunity for processors. There is a big gap between production and consumption.

During “Export Growth Trends for Dairy,” Vikki Nicholson-West, vice president, global ingredients marketing, U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), offered the following nuggets:

• Nutritional and functional foods are growing 6% annually, representing an opportunity for the dairy industry.
• Mainstream foods are another opportunity. Yogurt is a part of this group.
• Asia and Latin America represent an opportunity for protein and dairy-based snacks.
• Women are prioritizing gut health. “Focus on nutrition, weight management, and mindfulness.”
• There is a growing interest in bioactives from milk.
• There is a growing desire for lactoferrin in the nutrition mainstream beyond infant nutrition.
• Taiwan, African, Australia, and Brazil are opportunities for dairy export growth.
• “Dairy has a role and there are consumers who love dairy.”
• “Dairy is well positioned to address global trends.”

Data and trends

Shelley Balanko, vice president, business development for the Hartman Group, presented “Consumer Acceptance of New Technologies and Health and Wellness.” Here are some consumer trends takeaways:

• Consumers want health-promoting ingredients for quality of life and longevity. 
• Consumers cite health as the biggest reason to consume plant-based products, but there are concerns about taste, cost and processing. About two-thirds of those surveyed by Hartman want a short ingredient list and no artificial colors.
• Communicating dairy’s benefits is straightforward, but it must also manage perceptions of environmental impact and health. Dairy ingredients have many positive associations on our food culture, including simple, fresh; authentic (whole/real); ideal taste/texture. Dairy’s obstacles include animal welfare concerns; negative environmental impacts due to methane emissions; and a belief plant-based diets are healthier for humans and the planet. Opportunity for the dairy industry includes familiarity, experiential attributes, and health credentials.
• Seventy-two percent of consumers say they are proactively doing things to lower health risks and prevent disease.
• Inflation has led to a boom in private-label products.
• More than half of consumers look at nutrition facts labels when buying new products. 
• Protein is the No. 1 thing consumers are looking for and sugar is what they most want to avoid.
• Half of consumers consider indulgent foods and beverages as being an important part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Sustainability

Adam Wylie, director of global responsibility for Leprino Foods Co., offered an educational session on sustainability, which led to a panel discussion on the topic. Among Wylie’s discussion points were:

• Carbon-neutral by 2030 goals have been set forth by science as a budget of what they believe the climate can handle before it “breaks.”
• Seven companies per day make sustainability commitments.
• “Sustainability does cost money but keep everything in mind.”
• “2030 sustainability targets are within reach. 2050 is another beast.”
• “Sustainability’s 15 minutes are not up.”

Wylie then convened a panel discussion with the following panelists: Andrew Hurley, Clemson University; Melinda Burn, Solecta; Dan Peerless, Nestlé; and Caleb Power, Ecolab.

Here are some of their sustainability comments:

• Burn: “Membrane separation is big. How can they get more yield? Can they use less water?”
• Power: Ecolab has a goal to of 300 billion gallons of water savings per year. Now, it is currently projected to have 210 billion in water savings this year, with the expectation to reach its goal by 2030. “Membranes are water hogs. Ways to save water are needed.”
• Peerless: Nestlé has not been presenting the sustainability message to consumers. “We have not cracked that nut yet.” 
• Burn: Recycling is very challenging. Not all plastics can be recycled at scale. 

The panelists were also asked what their highest hurdle to achieving sustainability is.

• Power: Economics. It costs money and trickles down to the consumer. “Economics gets in the way of true sustainability.”
• Peeerless: Nestlé is not passing down the costs of sustainability. “We spend a lot and nobody outside of the company knows about it. We need a long-term economic sustainability program.”
• Burn: “The biggest mistake we can make is not starting the journey. We need to take the first step so we can figure out solutions.”

Finally, I want to congratulate many college students for their Student Research Competition Presentations during the Global Ingredient Summit. ADPI declared Rachel Lindstrom of Utah State University the winner for her presentation: “Measuring insoluble calcium during cheese manufacturing.”