A report that analyzes the impact the dairy sector has on countries around the world was released Oct. 14 during the Global Dairy Platform Annual Meeting in Paris.
The report, “Dairy and Socio-economic Development; What Evidence Does the Data Hold?” shows how dairy sector growth has a direct positive benefit toward fulfilling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
For several years, GDP has worked with global organizations to develop the Dairy Impact Methodology (DIM) tool, which highlights the socio-economic benefits of the dairy sector. The DIM tool was developed in conjunction with FAO, IFAD, IFCN Dairy Research Network and the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL).
The report examined relationships between dairy sector development and 97 statistical variables for 187 countries and territories in different world regions, including low, lower middle, upper middle- and high-income economies.
The report provides a much-needed perspective on livestock’s contributions to socio-economic development, and demonstrates how sector growth and transformation benefits society, which is often undervalued by governments and intergovernmental organizations.
Key report findings include:
- The transformation of the dairy sector benefits farmers, employees, consumers and governments, and contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of no poverty (SDG1), zero hunger (SDG2), good health and well-being (SDG3), quality education (SDG4) and decent work and economic growth (SDG8)
- The development of the dairy sector (evidenced by higher milk yields) results in better living conditions for dairy farmers.
- Dairy sector development helps play a key role in improving consumer access to nutritious dairy products at lower costs
- Governments in high dairy-producing countries can more effectively provide the public goods and services that will be necessary to achieve multiple SDGs
