GDP / USDEC Webinar
29 October 2025
12:00-13:00 Central US time
Sustainable healthy diets and food systems are built on four interconnecting dimensions: environment, society and culture, nutrition, and affordability. While the environmental dimension is of importance, the nutritional quality and economic affordability of sustainable diets cannot be overlooked. Global Dairy Platform and the United States Dairy Export Council invite you to a webinar exploring dairy’s contribution to least-cost nutritionally adequate diets presented by Dr. Sylvia Chungchunlam, a Research Officer at the Riddet Institute, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, hosted by Massey University. Dr. Chungchunlam will discuss the findings of her research conducted across the US, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Agenda
0:00 – 0:10 Welcome and introductions
Beth Bradley, Chief Science Officer, GDP
0:10 – 0:35 The place of dairy in bridging nutrition and cost: perspectives from developed and developing countries
Sylvia Chungchunlam, Research Officer, Riddet Institute, Massey University
0:35 – 0:50 Moderated discussion
Janice Giddens, Vice President, Sustainable Nutrition, USDEC
0:50 – 1:00 Closing
Beth Bradley
Presenter: Dr. Sylvia Chungchunlam
Dr. Sylvia Chungchunlam is a Research Officer at the Riddet Institute, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence, hosted by Massey University. She has a background in Biomedicine and earned her PhD in Nutritional Sciences at the Riddet Institute, Massey University, investigating the effect of dairy whey protein on food intake and satiety in adult humans. Dr. Chungchunlam’s research focuses on the bioavailability of nutrients, with a particular interest in the digestion, absorption and utilisation of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Her current research is based around dietary assessment and nutrient requirements to model food patterns to investigate the role of animal- and plant-based foods in least-cost nutritionally adequate diets using a Linear Programming approach.
Moderator: Janice Giddens
Janice Giddens is a registered dietitian and the Vice President of Sustainable Nutrition at the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). In this role, she leads targeted multilateral engagement efforts to elevate the role of U.S. dairy and trade in supporting sustainable food systems that promote healthy diets, food security, and environmental goals. Janice brings more than a decade of global experience working at the intersection of nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability. She has worked directly with farmers in the United States, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mozambique, and Rwanda, including through an international nutrition research fellowship focused on improving maternal and child nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life. In the U.S., she has facilitated land and market access for refugee farmers and led programs that enhanced both producer livelihoods and community nutrition outcomes. Prior to joining USDEC, Janice served as a nutrition leader at the Atlanta Food Bank, where she built the organization’s first nutrition program portfolio, implemented a nutrient profiling system to assess over 70 million pounds of food annually, and led the development of a public-private partnership to construct a culinary nutrition learning kitchen. Janice has held fellowships with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Her contributions to food systems, public health, and nutrition have been recognized with the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Leadership Award and a Distinguished Service Award for global grassroots impact. She holds dual B.S. degrees in Dietetics and Consumer Foods and a Certificate in International Agriculture from the University of Georgia. She earned an M.S. in Human Nutrition from Mississippi State University, where her research focused on the intersection of food security and women’s health.
