Tag: Latin American dairy

Latin America’s first dairy nutrition summit

Posted on by Rachel Ravencraft

By Jaime Castaneda, Executive Vice President, Policy Development & Strategy

Against the backdrop of one of the world’s fastest-growing regions for dairy demand, the inaugural Latin American Dairy Nutrition Congress, NutriLact Congress 2026, brought together leading scientists, health professionals, and policymakers Feb. 25 to 26 in Lima, Peru.

Co-chaired by the National Milk Producers Federation’s (NMPF) Jaime Castaneda and Shawna Morris and organized by the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Dairy Council (NDC), the two-day event marked an important step in countering anti-dairy narratives that have increasingly taken hold in Latin America. It brought decision-makers and leading academics from across the region together to engage with the latest science on dairy’s role in healthy diets.

Dairy at the center

Over the past several years, NMPF and USDEC have met with a network of industry partnerships across Latin America. Those international dairy sector partners were deeply concerned by the misinformation coming from health ministries and medical leaders across the region. It reflected inaccurate, outdated information about the health effects of consuming dairy and was increasingly showing up in policies impacting both domestic and imported dairy products.

This posed a growing threat to dairy demand in a key region for U.S. dairy exports. To address it, USDEC applied for USDA funding to organize an event that would bring leading scientific experts to the region to help close the information gap. NDC partnered on the project, contributing its scientific expertise and connections across the medical and academic communities.

Promoting dairy’s role in healthy diets

The Congress was organized around the theme of “Generational Nutrition and the Role of Dairy,” with the goal to examine how dairy foods can support health at every stage of life, from pregnancy and early childhood to adolescence, adulthood, and healthy aging.

More than 20 experts shared the latest research on dairy’s role in providing important nutrients and supporting overall health.

All told, more than 300 attendees from 17 countries traveled to Lima, including representatives from research institutions, health ministries, and international organizations such as the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization.

Turning research into action

A key focus of the Congress was translating research into real-world solutions. Panels brought together scientists and government officials to talk about how dairy can be included in everything from national dietary guidelines and school meal programs to maternal and child nutrition initiatives and clinical nutrition practices.

Speakers from leading institutions, including Harvard Medical School, Tufts University, and Mayo Clinic, presented research on heart health, child development, pregnancy nutrition, and meeting essential nutrient needs, and provided policymakers and health leaders with practical, evidence-based tools they can use in their own countries.

NutriLact Congress 2026 was not a one-time event, but rather the beginning of a longer-term regional effort to ensure that accurate information about dairy can consistently shape health policies and medical advice across Latin America to support dairy consumption in the region.

U.S. Dairy: Ready to meet Latin America’s demand

Beyond the science, the Congress underscored a practical reality: As Latin American governments and health systems talk about the benefits of dairy to close nutritional gaps, dairy consumption will increase. The United States is uniquely positioned to help meet that demand.

U.S. dairy exports to Latin America have grown steadily, and the region is seen as one of the most promising markets for future growth.

The NutriLact Congress was about more than sharing science. It was also about building trust and long-term partnerships. By positioning U.S. dairy as a reliable, research-backed partner in Latin America’s nutrition efforts, this initiative helped lay the foundation for stronger trade relationships and continued collaboration in the years ahead.

 

This column originally appeared in Hoard’s Dairyman Intel on March 19, 2026.

NMPF Strengthens South America Ties on Trip with NMPF Members

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF Executive Vice President for Policy Development and Strategy Jaime Castaneda, along with representatives from member cooperatives California Dairies Inc. and Darigold, and seven other U.S. dairy exporters and traders traveled to Lima, Peru, June 9-12 on a USDA trade mission to explore business opportunities.

The trip featured in-depth market briefings, site visits, and networking events for U.S. dairy suppliers to meet with buyers from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

The host of next year’s Latin America Nutrition Congress, Peru has been a key market for U.S. dairy exporters since the U.S.-Peru Trade Agreement was signed in 2009. The Congress, which NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) will lead, will help align public dietary guidance with up-to-date dairy science, and further strengthen partnerships between U.S. and Latin American health and agriculture sectors.

NMPF Grows Latin American Network

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

Strengthening its trade and dairy priorities in Latin America, NMPF and USDEC signed a June 4 memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Colombian Association of Dairy Industry (Asoleche).

The agreement details objectives that the U.S. and Colombian industries will undertake to improve knowledge sharing and eliminate trade barriers between the two countries. The MOU complements similar agreements USDEC and NMPF have made throughout Latin America, including with Sociedad Rural Argentina, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Chilean Federacion Nacional de Productores de Leche (Fedeleche).

Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF, said, “The U.S. and Colombian dairy industries share many of the same values and priorities. We’re excited to work alongside Asoleche to promote positive, sound policies that build a stronger dairy industry in the Americas and internationally.”

NMPF Co-Leads Dairy Dialogue on Climate

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF’s Executive Vice President for Policy Development and Strategy Jaime Castaneda traveled to Argentina for a regional seminar April 19-20 on, “The road to sustainability in livestock production in the Americas,” Coordinated in partnership with USDEC, the Pan-American Dairy Federation (FEPALE) and the Federation of Rural Association of the Mercosur (FARM).

The seminar facilitated discussion of common opportunities and challenges for the dairy and livestock sectors in the Americas on sustainability and other food systems policy issues. Organizers also adopted a set of joint principles to formalize collaboration on climate, the role of trade, and the importance of sustainable productivity growth.

The new partnership will focus on engaging government officials and international organizations to promote climate policies that are attainable for the dairy and livestock industries, given their unique needs.

With the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment and COP28 taking place next year, this collaboration will play a significant role in ensuring dairy and livestock producers have a seat at the table and shaping the discussion of the agricultural industry’s part in reaching climate goals.

U.S. Dairy Announces New Collaboration to Lead on Climate

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) announced today the signing of a set of principles and a new partnership with the National Agricultural Organizations (FARM) from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Colombia to constructively engage governments and international organizations around the world on the issues of livestock, agriculture, climate and trade.

Far too often, global convenings and climate proposals reflect ideologies at the expense of science, ignore progress that the industry has made in reducing emissions, and try to impose one-size-fits-all approaches on an industry they do not fully understand.

In collaboration with the National Agriculture Organizations (FARM), and the Pan-American Dairy Federation (FEPALE), USDEC and NMPF will coordinate and support engagements with government officials and international organizations in promoting policies that encourage sustainable productivity growth while taking into consideration the unique needs of the livestock industry as well as profitability for farmers.

To launch this important strategic collaboration, USDEC, NMPF, FARM and FEPALE co-hosted a seminar on April 19 and 20, 2023, on “The Road to Sustainability in Livestock Production in the Americas,” bringing together influential leaders from across the livestock sectors of the MERCOSUR and South America region. Attendees heard from global experts and discussed ways to reduce the livestock sector’s greenhouse gas emissions while remaining viable for the next generation of farmers.

Both the partnership and meeting are being organized with an eye toward the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment and COP28, where the organizations will play a role in shaping the discussion around agriculture’s role in a sustainable future.

NMPF and USDEC Join Chilean Dairy Industry to Advance Policy Priorities Internationally

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the Chilean Federacion Nacional de Productores de Leche (Fedeleche) today finalized an agreement that will facilitate better sharing of knowledge and information and foster collaboration as the three groups advocate for science-based standards and guidelines in agricultural trade policy across the world.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishes a set of objectives that will guide cooperation in supporting common policy priorities in international forums. The collaboration lasts through 2024 and includes a strong focus on establishing events, seminars and conferences to improve mutual understanding on issues such as sustainability, food systems and global trade.

“Dairy producers in the United States and Chile share many of the same values and policy priorities, and will benefit greatly from this partnership,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We’re excited to work alongside USDEC and Fedeleche to proactively set commonsense food and ag policy.”

“We are delighted at this opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Chilean agricultural producers,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “Through this agreement, we are in a better position to ensure that international trade and regulatory policy is reasonable, fair and based in science.”

“At Fedeleche, we value free trade based on clear and fair rules. We are looking forward to working with the American dairy sector to achieve structural reforms that counter the protectionism that we encounter so frequently,” said Marcos Winkler Mayer, president of the Fedeleche. “We celebrate this partnership and are in a better place to serve American and Chilean agriculture and dairy when we work together.”

The MOU between NMPF, USDEC and Fedeleche complements an agreement signed earlier this year with Sociedad Rural Argentina, which provides USDEC and NMPF with an additional avenue to communicate and engage with stakeholders in Latin America.