DairyNZ, the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) yesterday endorsed the Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam, marking New Zealand's commitment towards global sustainable dairy development.
The Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam signals both a commitment towards feeding the world with safe and sustainable products and enhancing sustainability.
The signatories are the International Dairy Federation (IDF) and the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), who signed the Declaration during the World Dairy Summit in 2016.
"We are pleased to endorse the Declaration today as a signal of strong support for the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and for the important role of the dairy sector in the global community's efforts toward sustainable development," says Kimberly Crewther, Executive Director of DCANZ.
"We look forward to working with all IDF and FAO members to deliver the outcomes in the Declaration and its Sustainable Development Goals."
The Declaration highlights a number of areas where the dairy sector can support the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals from an economic, social, environmental, and health perspective – all are priorities for New Zealand.
This includes collaborative efforts to find innovative solutions and build the capacity to develop sustainable food systems and resilient agricultural practices.
"New Zealand is engaged in collective global efforts to promote the efficient use of natural resources and combat climate change, such as the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, and the Global Dairy Agenda for Action," says MPI Director-General Martyn Dunne.
"We welcome the support expressed in the Declaration to meeting the needs of rural farming families," says Tim Mackle, Chief Executive of DairyNZ.
"The Declaration also recognises the major economic contribution that dairy makes to realising the sustainable development aspirations of farmers and communities around the world."
New Zealand is committed to eliminating distortions from global agricultural markets, such as subsidies and trade barriers that can hamper food security, prevent farmers from receiving the full value of their products, and raise food costs for consumers.
"Dairy remains one of the most protected and distorted sectors of global trade," says Kimberly Crewther.
"We also welcome the Declaration's focus on the social and health dimensions of dairy and its role in a balanced, nutritious, and healthy diet.
"As a leader in the production of safe and sustainable dairy nutrition, we'll continue to work to support the global development of science-based standards, policies, and practices for food safety and improved health outcomes."
Find out more
- The Dairy Declaration website
- Endorsement certificate [PDF, 3.8 MB]
About DCANZ
The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) was formed in July 2003 to coordinate and represent the collective public policy interests of its member dairy companies. Its members comprise, Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company Limited, Westland Milk Products, Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Goodman Fielder New Zealand Limited, Synlait Milk Limited, Open Country Dairy Limited, Miraka Limited, Danone-Nutricia NZ Limited, Oceania Dairy Limited, Yashili New Zealand Dairy Co Ltd, and Dairy Goat Co-operative Ltd.
About DairyNZ
DairyNZ is the industry organisation representing New Zealand’s dairy farmers. Our purpose is to secure and enhance the profitability, sustainability, and competitiveness of New Zealand dairy farming. DairyNZ is funded by dairy farmers through a levy on milk solids.
About MPI
The Ministry for Primary Industries’ purpose is to grow and protect New Zealand and our ambition is for New Zealand to be the most trusted source of high-value natural products in the world. MPI staff across 70 locations both in New Zealand and overseas are contributing to the success of the primary industries through their work across the 7 major systems that underpin our organisation – biosecurity, forestry, food safety, sustainable economic performance, animal welfare, trade, and fisheries.
