Tag: nutrition

Dairy Defined: Be Thankful for Dairy’s Global Success This Christmas

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

ARLINGTON, Va. – Despite the seasonal pressures to buy, buy, and buy, the holidays are best as a season for giving. Yes, that means solicitations – deserving charities fill mailboxes, and earnest pleas to remember the less fortunate have become staples of the holiday season.

But for many people in less-wealthy parts of the world, the property for which they can be most thankful is something people in rich nations take for granted: Dairy cows. For all the disparagement it receives in some, more affluent quarters, the fact is that dairy provides livelihoods and nutrition to  hundreds of millions of people, many of them poorer, worldwide. Dairy lifts people from poverty and protects them from hunger. Dairy gives women jobs and sends girls to school. Dairy supports ecosystems and connects farmers to markets.

Stepping outside first-world problems for a moment, here for the holidays are a few thoughts on dairy’s global reach, and why we should be thankful for dairy farmers worldwide. (Thank you to Global Dairy Platform, an industry partnership that demonstrates dairy’s contribution to global food systems, healthy diets and sustainable livelihoods, for sharing data and graphics.)

  • The world is home to about 133 million dairy farms, with about 600 million people living on those farms. Another 400 million additional people work full-time jobs throughout dairy’s value chain That means more than roughly 1 in 8 people on the planet – 1 billion – are economically supported by dairy.

 

  • Most developing-world dairy farms have herds of two or three cows. Farms with more than 100 cows represent less than 0.3 percent of all dairy farms worldwide.

 

  • Of those 133 million dairy farms, 37 million of them are run by women.
  • Milk and dairy products account for about 14 percent of all global agricultural trade.

 

  • Finally, dairy is continually becoming more climate-efficient; greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 11 percent per unit in the past decade. In North America the declines have been even steeper, falling not just per unit, but in total gross emissions as well.

 

Dairy is a big deal globally, just as it is in the United States. But dairy looks different in developing countries. It looks more basic, like something that’s essential to simple survival. Like something that should be nurtured and supported as a basic human right.

So when rich-world advocates call for sweeping changes to global diets or eliminating entire agricultural sectors — even though such goals could be met in ways that would allow agriculture to thrive, reduce poverty and contribute to climate and nutrition solutions — keep that in mind. This isn’t only about the 40,000 U.S. dairy farms that are the most carbon-efficient in the world. It’s about 133 million farms and a billion people, many who have much more to worry about than whether their beverage choices signal virtue to their privileged friends.

Let’s be thankful that dairy benefits everyone, regardless of their circumstances or wealth. Let’s work to encourage and sustain its success and celebrate its many contributions to our health and prosperity this Christmas season. Happy holidays, and a happy new year for dairy.

 (Note: NMPF’s Dairy Defined explores today’s dairy farms and industry using high-quality data and podcast interviews to explain current dairy issues and dispel myths.)

FDA Nomination Heads to Senate Floor With NMPF Hopeful for Progress on Fake Milk

Posted on by Alan Bjerga

ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Milk Producers Federation today expressed hope that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee vote to send Dr. Stephen Hahn’s nomination to be commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the full Senate for final confirmation represents another step toward greater transparency in the use of dairy terms in the marketplace.

“It is long past time for the FDA to begin enforcing its own standards, which make clear that dairy terms are reserved for real dairy products, not plant-based imitators that mislead shoppers by misrepresenting nutritionally inferior products,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We are hopeful that today’s vote to forward Dr. Hahn’s nomination to the full Senate is the beginning of the end of this long process, and we are eager to work with Dr. Hahn upon his confirmation to ensure that dairy product standards are enforced once and for all.”

Hahn voiced his support in his confirmation hearing last month for “clear, transparent, and understandable labeling for the American people” in an exchange with Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

The National Milk Producers Federation, which has been speaking out on plant-based imitators for four decades, has been encouraged by recent, long overdue FDA attention to the issue. For more background on NMPF’s position and statements of support from public-health organizations, click here.  NMPF also in February released a “road map,” found here, for how the agency can adapt existing standards to reflect the current marketplace and protect labeling integrity.

Dairy Response to Organic-Industry-Funded Emory University Milk Study

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

A statement from the National Dairy Council, the International Dairy Foods Association, and the National Milk Producers Federation related to a study published today in Public Health Nutrition journal:

“Milk is one of the safest foods you can buy. Regarding this new study, it is very important to note that information about the methodology used is so scant that serious flaws are likely to exist. Many of the key results raise red flags and leave more questions than answers, including a sample size that is not statistically valid, a four-year lag between data collection and published analysis, and results that are so far out of line with federal government data that they seem implausible. Given these facts, combined with the historical testing data using FDA-approved methodology that clearly demonstrates the occurrence of residues for several of the antibiotics in question is extremely rare, the data underlying this recent study must be considered highly questionable and not a true reflection of the U.S. milk supply.”

NMPF Backs Bipartisan School Nutrition Bill to Codify Current Options

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

NMPF is strongly supporting the bipartisan School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019, which would codify into law current milk varieties that schools may offer and reaffirm the longstanding requirements that milk served in schools be fully consistent with the most recent version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The measure was introduced in the House by Representatives on June 5 by Reps. Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), both senior members of the House Education & Labor Committee, the panel that oversees school nutrition programs.  The bill has more than 25 bipartisan cosponsors, including committee members in both parties.

According to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, American children and adolescents over four years old are not consuming enough dairy to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations. Milk also provides numerous additional health benefits, including stronger and healthier bones, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

The bipartisan legislation does not expand the varieties of milk that may be offered in schools but codifies current options into law to provide certainty to schools and school districts and ensure that future generations of milk drinkers are introduced early on to healthy, nutritious dairy products that they will want to drink.

Milk is the leading food source of nine essential nutrients in children’s diets, including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium.  A survey of over 300 schools that offered low-fat flavored milk during the 2017-18 school year found that 58% of schools saw an increase in milk sold, and 82% of schools found it easy or very easy to include low-fat flavored milk within their overall calorie maximums.

NMPF looks forward to working with Reps. Courtney and Thompson to work to include this measure in the upcoming child nutrition reauthorization legislation, which Congress is expected to act upon this session.

NMPF, IDFA Commend Introduction of Bipartisan School Milk Nutrition Act

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2019—The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today offered their strong support for a bipartisan bill to codify into law current milk varieties that schools may offer and reaffirm the long-standing requirement that milk served in schools be fully consistent with the most recent version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019, introduced by Representatives Joe Courtney (D-CT) and Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), preserves current policy which allows schools to offer students low-fat and fat-free milk, including low-fat (1%) flavored milk. The bill permits individual school districts to determine which milk varieties to offer their students, provided that they align with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

According to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, American children and adolescents over four years old are not consuming enough dairy to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations. As the American Academy of Pediatrics states, “Dairy products play an important role in the diet of children… In fact, milk is the leading food source of three of the four nutrients of public health concern (calcium, vitamin D, and potassium) in the diet of American children 2-18 years.” Milk also provides numerous additional health benefits, including stronger and healthier bones, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Milk has been an integral part of school meals since their beginning, and greater milk consumption equals better nutrition for America’s kids,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “USDA’s action last year to return low-fat flavored milk to school menus has been good for schools, students and American dairy farmers. This legislation would further that progress by letting school districts know they can continue to offer low-fat flavored milk in years to come.”

The bipartisan legislation does not expand the varieties of milk that may be offered in schools but codifies current options into law to provide certainty to schools and school districts and ensure that future generations of milk drinkers are introduced early on to healthy, nutritious dairy products that they will want to drink. Milk is the leading food source of nine essential nutrients in children’s diets, including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium.  A survey of over 300 schools that offered low-fat flavored milk during the 2017-18 school year found that 58% of schools saw an increase in milk sold and 82% of schools found it easy or very easy to include low-fat flavored milk within their overall calorie maximums.

“One of the best ways to help our growing children and teens get the nutrients they need is by providing healthy dairy options at school that they will actually drink,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “We are grateful to Representatives Thompson and Courtney for introducing this bill that will maintain the option for schools to offer low-fat 1% flavored milk to students. Most students prefer these options at school because many enjoy them at home. The School Milk Nutrition Act of 2019 is a good first step toward providing expanded milk options that will help ensure students get the nine essential nutrients that milk uniquely provides, including powerful protein, calcium, vitamin D and potassium.”

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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3 million jobs that generate $159 billion in wages and $620 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent 90 percent of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages. Visit IDFA at www.idfa.org.

Raise Your Milk Glasses, America: NMPF Shares the Facts on World Milk Day

Posted on by Theresa Sweeney

ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Milk Producers Federation is pointing out some key facts about U.S. dairy in observance of World Milk Day on June 1 and the National Dairy Month that follows.

The state of the industry

  • Total domestic consumption of milk has risen four of the past five years and reached a record in 2018.
  • While per-capita milk U.S. consumption has declined, consumption of non-fluid dairy products such as cheese have increased, with butter last year at its highest per-capita consumption in more than 50 years.
  • U.S. dairy export volumes reached a record in 2018, increasing 9 percent over the prior year despite stiff trade winds. The value of U.S. exports was $5.59 billion, 2 percent more than the prior year, despite trade disturbances that to date have cost farmers at least $2.3 billion in revenues.

Sustainability and animal welfare

  • The U.S. dairy industry contributes approximately two percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions—the lowest average GHG intensity of milk production worldwide.
  • Fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy are roughly equal in greenhouse-gas emissions.
  • Through the leadership of NMPF’s National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program, which includes 98 percent of the U.S. milk supply, U.S. dairy producers are the first livestock animal care program in the world to be recognized for its animal welfare standards. FARM gained that recognition last year from the International Organization for Standardization, founded by the UN.

Consumer choice

  • Milk is consumers’ dominant choice compared compared to plant-based competitors. In a typical week, U.S. consumers buy more than 65 million gallons of milk, compared to about 6 million gallons of plant-based beverages. Milk also costs about 40 percent less, according to consumer sales and pricing data.
  • Milk is a key source of nine essential nutrients crucial to a healthy diet.

And, finally …

  • Milk is the product of a lactating animal, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s unenforced rules.

“As World Milk Day is celebrated globally, remember some key facts,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Dairy has faced economic hardships these past few years, but hard-working producers stand strong behind a high-quality product. Thank a dairy farmer on World Milk Day, for feeding America and the world.”

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The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own.  For more, visit www.nmpf.org.