This initiative was introduced by the International Dairy Federation (IDF) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) during the IDF World Dairy Summit in October 2024, held in Paris. It received further endorsement from Tetra Pak at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) 29 on November 19, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Declaration emphasizes the concrete commitments made by dairy operators globally toward achieving various UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its primary aim is to highlight the dynamic nature of the dairy sector to governments, decision-makers, and the public, thereby enhancing awareness around food and drink sustainability.
Gilles Froment, IDF president, stated: “This endorsement by a leading company like Tetra Pak amplifies the impact of the Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability and exemplifies the global dairy sector’s commitment to climate action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By endorsing this declaration, Tetra Pak joins a growing coalition of industry leaders dedicated to advancing sustainable practices worldwide. IDF calls on dairy leaders and stakeholders to not only endorse this document but to fully commit to taking the necessary actions to meet these critical goals on time.”
In response, Charles Brand, executive vice president of processing solutions and equipment at Tetra Pak, noted: “The Paris Dairy Declaration on Sustainability is an important statement on the dairy sector’s commitment to a sustainable transformation of the whole value chain. Tetra Pak has a long history in the dairy industry, and dairy is at the core of our food systems targets where we commit to driving change and being a positive influence on the way food systems can work in the future. We see from our customers a clear desire to drive transformative change. This declaration supports that journey and that is why we are happy to endorse it here today.”
