Dairy products are mainly produced in developed countries, but production in developing countries is growing at a rapid pace. According to the FAO, dairy consumption in developed countries is stable with an average of 200 liters/person/year compared to an average of 45 liters/person/year in developing countries. These products represent a diversified and segmented market with various consumers. Like for most agricultural products, prices paid to farmers are very low. This is one consequence of the growing power of supermarkets and concentration in the processing sector, especially at the distribution and retail level. The development of strong cooperatives and better producer-processor relationships and strategic alliances could be one way of improving farmers’ returns. Product quality is crucial within dairy markets, and this implies the development of specific standards. Additionally, dairy producers in developing countries are facing two majore challenges: how to meet standards in international markets for dairy products and how to address the impact of import surges of dairy products within domestic markets.

IFAP Dairy products group: Established in 1963, the IFAP Group on Dairy Products made a proposal for the creation of an International Dairy Products Council in 1964. These proposals were finally achieved in 1979 with the creation of an International Dairy Products Arrangement in the Global Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The Group held its first World Dairy Producers Summit in Toronto, Canada in June 1987, and it held its first World Dairy Producers Round Table on Trade in Vancouver, Canada in November 1999.

 

   Activities: IFAP activities concentrate on how to improve producers’ returns and strengthen their involvement ongoing work on standards development at an international level.

 

Officers of the Group 2008-2010:

Chairman: Wes Judd (Australia), Vice Chairs: Wally Smith (Canada) and A.R. Katambuka (Young Farmer – Uganda).

 


Managing risks in the dairy sector: public/private strategies, Practical Implications of the New Food Safety and Hazard Management Approaches, Réjean Bouchard, International Dairy Federation

The EU milk sector: environmentally-friendly production, Henri Brichart, Chairman, COPA/COGECA working group on “Milk and milk products”

Challenges for Dairy Farmers in Latin America, CNA Technical Office

Canadian Dairy Industry: Working Together for Profitability, Sustainability & Development, Wally Smith, Vice President, Dairy Farmers of Canada

Report on Dairy from the National Farmers Union of the United States

Regional Specific Challenges for Dairy Farmers and Panorama of the existing rewarding eco-system services for Dairy Farmers- Asian Region

IFAP Report on the 4th World Dairy Producers Round Table. New Delhi,  India, 25-28 October 2005.

Commodities Conference. Bruges, Belgium, 19-20 April 2005

- Summary of the Plenary Session

- Report of the Dairy Group

 Report of the IFAP Dairy Group, 29 May-4June, 2004,

    IFAP World Congress report.

Proceeding of the 3rd World Dairy Round Table, 4-8 May 2003,  

    meeting report.

 IFAP Dairy Quarterly Newsletter

 

 

This bulletin was published quarterly until June 2007. It provided information related to commodities and the activities of the IFAP Secretariat, its members and other relevant international, regional and research organizations.

23-26 April 2007: IFAP Commodities Conference, linked with the Policies Conference and Executive Committee, Austria.

 The International Dairy Federation:

 FAO Commodities and Trade for Dairy

 FAO Commodities and Trade for Cross

 Commodities

 SAI Platform’s Working Group on Dairy

 UNCTAD Commodities Branch

Fabienne Derrien

IFAP Senior Policy Officer

fabienne.derrien@ifap.org