Among the major dairy-producing countries, the U.S. is best positioned to meet the world’s growing dairy demand sustainably and efficiently, USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden emphasized today at the IDF World Dairy Summit.
The global population is projected to grow by roughly 2 billion people by the mid-2080s, according to the latest United Nations estimates. This population growth, combined with accelerating urbanization and evolving diets, is fueling greater dairy consumption worldwide, Harden said.
The U.S. dairy sector is uniquely equipped to respond to this challenge, thanks to unmatched efficiency and an ability to expand production capacity while continually reducing greenhouse emissions. While some exporting nations, like New Zealand, are reaching or have declared “peak milk” production, the United States continues to grow, with investments in processing infrastructure and the adoption of innovative farm-level practices that enable more sustainable milk production.
U.S. dairy now holds the world’s lowest greenhouse gas emission intensity for dairy products, Harden points out. Advances in genetics, nutrition, herd management, and animal health have made dairy production more efficient, reducing the use of natural resources. Notably, from 2007 to 2020, even as U.S. milk production grew by 26%, greenhouse gas emissions intensity was reduced by 13%.
This combination of scale, reliability, and verified sustainability sets the United States apart from the other major dairy suppliers, Harden emphasized during a panel discussion.
Be the first to comment