Through organizing side events at global conferences as well as participating in major nutrition-focused discussions at the United Nations, GDP is promoting dairy’s valuable contribution to sustainable healthy diets with key stakeholders.

• The importance of high-quality protein food sources such as dairy to the global food system was emphasized during a day-long satellite session, “Dietary Protein for Global Human Health,” held in conjunction with the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Annual Meeting, NUTRITION 2025, in Orlando, Florida, in May. Much of the research at the session, was derived from Project Proteos, the GDP-led initiative aimed at developing a more reliable method for determining protein quality, demonstrating that animal source foods, such as dairy, are essential to the global food supply. The session featured the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) commitment to making the protein quality data publicly available by the end of the year to help facilitate adoption of the  methodology and values in research and policy.
• In partnership with IDF and assistance from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), GDP delivered an official side event, “Local Investment for Global Good: Building Dairy Value Chains” at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris in March. N4G, which occurs every four years, brings together governments, international organizations, civil society, philanthropies, and private sector entities to make financial and political commitments to ending malnutrition in all its forms. International experts shared the latest evidence demonstrating how support for dairy across the value chain can accelerate dairy’s delivery of nourishment and health across the lifespan while lifting people out of poverty and supporting communities.
• GDP Chief Science Officer Beth Bradley delivered comments at the High-level Interactive Dialogue on the Social, Economic and Environmental Determinants of Health, convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly on July 11^th. Addressing the meeting, Dr. Bradley emphasized the importance of multilateral, evidence-based decision-making that brings together the strengths of public and private sectors, to ensure access to nutrient-rich foods, such as dairy, to all people, everywhere. Bradley emphasized the need to promote the production, distribution, and consumption of nutrient-rich foods that naturally contain or require modest amounts of salt, sugar, or fat for safety, function, or nutrient delivery as part of healthy, balanced diets.

This year’s World Milk Day theme of “Let’s Celebrate The Power of Dairy” was amplified throughout the world, reaching a record 1.25 billion people, and generating more than 2.75 million engagements, which surpassed last year’s highest-ever total.

The campaign, which included in-person and online activity, was driven by dairy sector companies, industry associations, non-profit organizations, UN Agencies and governments. GDP developed messaging and videos that focused on how the dairy sector can be a part of the solution to some of the world’s most challenging issues, such as this video on how dairy helps address malnutrition and hidden hunger.

World Milk Day highlights included:

• In-person activities, including a festival in Ireland; an event around the “Ate Mooo” campaign in the Philippines; a picnic at a milk museum in Poland; a walk-in fridge attraction at the Mall of Berlin in Germany; dairy product giveaways in Denmark, Nigeria, U.S. and Thailand; and farm visits from France to New Zealand and beyond.
• Innovative digital campaigns, including J-Milk’s “Milk Month” effort in Japan; Dairy Australia’s reinforcement of dairy’s place in a healthy, sustainable future; and, in South Africa, a focus on how dairy products provide energy throughout the day.
• Stories about the nutritional power of dairy, including a feature article in Sri Lanka about “nature’s original superfood”; articles in Norway that emphasized dairy’s essential role in the modern diet; and a myth-busting campaign in Columbia.
• Emphasis on the holistic story of dairy, including Chile’s Consorcio Lechero’s visually driven campaign that celebrated the people behind the product; several articles in Indian publications that discussed dairy’s key role in nutrition accessibility and socio-economic growth; a post from FrieslandCampina CEO Jan Derck van Karnebeek that emphasized dairy’s role in addressing a variety of global challenges; and an event by the Pakistan Dairy Association to emphasize milk’s role in public health and economic growth.

More than 60 communications professionals participated in the annual meeting between GDP and the International Milk Promotion Group (IMP) in Melbourne, Australia, in April, followed by a visit to New Zealand farms and Fonterra headquarters by GDP members.

GDP introduced the global narrative initiative, Facts on a Page and solution-focused messaging during the two-day program, with sessions covering best practices for communication with a variety of key audiences, as well as the emergence of AI and the perspective of farmers.

After GDP-IMP, about 20 commercial company members traveled to Auckland, New Zealand, to learn more about the New Zealand dairy industry with visits to a Fonterra member farm; the Fonterra headquarters; and to GDP member Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) to learn about its genetics research programs into low methane and heat tolerance in dairy cattle.