GDP Bulletin November / December 2024

GDP Focuses on Pathways to Dairy Net Zero Progress at COP29

GDP shared the dairy sector’s environmental progress through Pathways to Dairy Net Zero at more than a dozen events and meetings at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

GDP’s primary event was “Sustainable Strategies for Dairy, Beef, and Rice Sectors: Efforts to Cut Methane Emissions,” an official side event GDP coordinated with the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and the government of Uruguay. GDP Executive Director Donald Moore and other panel participants discussed strategies for the dairy, beef, and rice sectors to cut methane emissions, while highlighting innovative practices and collaborative efforts. Other speaking events covered topics such as decarbonizing the food value chain, livestock’s role in carbon markets and low-methane food systems solutions.

While agriculture and food received limited attention at COP29, these discussions serve as a bridge between talks at COP28 in Dubai and the upcoming COP30 in Brazil, where agriculture and food are expected to be more central in discussions.

Perspective Papers Cover Key Food and Nutrition Issues

Two of GDP’s most recent Perspective Papers explored issues affecting the purchase and consumption of food – the dramatic increase in prescribed use of GLP-1 medications and the lowest cost diet possible to achieve nutritional adequacy.

The November Perspective Paper analyzes how GLP-1 medications have dramatically affected how millions of people consume food, often leading them to look for the most nutrient-rich food possible. “Dairy in the Age of GLP-1 Medications,” summarizes research findings on obesity and the use of GLP-1 medications from around the world and explores the important role of nutrient-rich dairy products in nourishing a population of people who may be eating less and looking to make every bite count. As the market for GLP-1 medications continues to expand, so too might the demand for nutrient-rich food options.

September’s Perspective Paper, “Why Dairy Foods Are Important Contributors to Least-Cost Nutritious Diets,” shows that the inclusion of animal-source foods, such as dairy, in the diet is the most efficient and effective way to provide adequate nutrition for the lowest cost. It details studies from North America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania that all demonstrate why animal-source foods, including dairy, can help reduce the cost of the total diet while providing essential nutrients necessary for good health. These findings show that nutritional adequacy, cultural acceptability and cost, alongside the environment, should be paramount in dietary recommendations.

Dietary Protein Symposium, 25 Articles Now Published

A collection of 25 academic articles that stemmed from the International Symposium on Dietary Protein for Human Health held in Utrecht, Netherlands, in 2023 has been published and made freely available for download from the academic journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

The article collection, Dietary Protein for Human Health, was written by experts who provided authoritative updates on topics such as protein amino acid supply, bioavailability and requirements; sustainable protein production; and dietary protein quality. The recent scientific developments in this critical domain are pertinent to human health and food security given projected world population growth, food protein demand, and the uncertainties in food production associated with global climate change.

The 2023 symposium featured multiple presentations about the results from Project Proteos, a groundbreaking six-year study about the importance of protein quality and how to correctly measure it. The project, which involved researchers from four laboratories on three continents, was driven by GDP and showed the superiority of animal-based protein when compared with other protein options.

Carbon Markets Initiative Starts with November Event in Kenya

GDP kicked off its work on the Carbon Markets initiative with a November event, “Unlocking the Carbon Credit Potential in the Livestock Sector in Africa” in Nairobi, Kenya. The initiative is supported with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and will culminate with a global convening in October 2025.

The event, which was hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), attracted about 100 livestock organization leaders and farmers from around the region. It was the first of what will be several regional gatherings in advance of the global meeting.