GDP Executive Director Donald Moore spoke about dairy’s role in the global food system at two events in early 2026 – as part of a panel discussion “Cows and Climate: Tackling the Methane Moment” at the Economist Future of Food Summit 2026 in London, and in a keynote speech at the 2026 Riddet Institute Agrifood Summit in New Zealand.
During the London panel discussion, Moore emphasized a few core points about livestock and climate:
- If the on-farm changes needed to reduce methane are too costly, too complex, or don’t improve farmer livelihoods, they won’t scale. And if they don’t scale, food security is at risk.
- This is a GHG challenge, not just a methane challenge. Methane matters enormously, but total emissions fall fastest when systems become more productive, resilient, and efficient.
- Most emissions come from systems very different from those in developed economies. Roughly 80% of global dairy sector emissions are coming from emerging markets, and around two-thirds of those are methane. Climate and development outcomes are inseparable in these regions.
- Productivity is the fastest global route to lower emissions intensity. Better feed, animal health, and management enable farmers to produce more nutritious food with fewer animals – delivering near-term climate gains and income improvements.
- Adoption only happens when farmers see value. If solutions don’t fit routines or improve incomes, emissions won’t fall.
At the New Zealand event, he mentioned:
- No country is immune to malnutrition – the challenge is both adequacy and optimization
- Nutrient density – not just calories – is central to health outcomes and healthy aging
- There is no universal diet – solutions must work across diverse economic and cultural contexts
He also added that the path forward is not elimination. It is optimization — across nutrition, environment, affordability, and practicality. And it requires:
- A global perspective
- Science-led decision making
- Alignment between policy, markets, and innovation
- Farmers enabled to deliver measurable progress
For further detail on Moore’s New Zealand talk, please review an article from RNZ.
