World Farmers’ Organisation and USDEC join forces to give “stronger voice to farmers”

02 May 2024 --- A strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the voice of farmers has been inked by The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC). The move will promote the critical role of livestock, animal-sourced foods and rules-based international trade in delivering sustainable food systems.

The collaboration will also ensure greater representation of farmers and advance joint priorities in areas of common interest in relevant global policy processes in multiple nations.

Building stronger food security 
The partnership will also promote the fundamental role of trade, alongside domestic production, to achieve stronger food security and better nutrition, including through the development and adoption of science-based international standards and guidelines that work for farmers and support the international trade of agricultural products. 

Food and nutrition security will be at the forefront of the partnership, as well as the centrality of farmers’ needs and interests in the food systems conversation, advocating for greater recognition of the livestock sector. 

Additionally, a focus will be on some of the major contributions of animal-sourced foods and animal-based products to the social, economic and environmental sustainability of food systems as well as the protection of dairy and meat terms. 

“In recent years, WFO has had the opportunity to work with USDEC in several multilateral contexts, and we witnessed their commitment to a farmer-driven, science-based, and outcome-oriented approach to tackling global challenges that resonate with our values and commitments toward farmers,” says Dr. Andrea Porro, secretary general of the WFO. 

The partnership will promote the fundamental role of trade, alongside domestic production, to achieve stronger food security and better nutrition.“The formalization of our partnership provides a framework to further our cooperation and highlights our shared goal of contributing to the transition toward resilient, sustainable and inclusive food systems, with the experiences and needs of farmers at their core.”

Nourishing a growing world
Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the US Dairy Export Council, adds: “With the world facing the simultaneous crises of increasing nutrition insecurity and climate change, now is the time for a partnership like the one USDEC has signed this week. This collaboration with WFO will bring our organizations together to support effective global policy frameworks informed by farmers.”

Last November, Harden discussed the rise of dairy alternatives and the role “real dairy” plays in nourishing massive populations worldwide. 

The buzz of alternative dairy is far from a worldwide phenomenon, with most activity staying local to developed economies with higher purchasing power. And while dairy consumption in the US is leveling off, the nutrition source is gaining ground in lower-income areas as a versatile, affordable and shelf-stable food that can help budgets stretch in a tough economic climate.

Dairy ingredients were also recently highlighted by suppliers as key sources for addressing malnutrition by providing protein and serving as a base for fortifiers.

Edited by Elizabeth Green