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WDS 2012 video.
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Message from the Chair: WDS 2012 Organising Committee
It is with great pleasure that the
South African Committee of the
IDF invites you to Cape Town,
where the 2012 annual World
Dairy Summit will be hosted
from 4 to 8 November 2012.
South Africa is a country of great diversity. Its
landscape contrasts from the desert landscape
of its West Coast and the Kalahari to the
rainforest on the South and East Coast, from
the winter rainfall fynbos in the South Western
Cape through the semi-desert Great Karoo to
the bushveld of the Northern borders, where the
weather is renowned for its summer rains and
thunderstorms.
The country is also renowned for its variety
in population groups, religions, culinary
experiences, languages and other attributes
that comprise the 'Rainbow Nation'. Having the
international dairy world present in South Africa
certainly completes our theme for the summit as a World in one country.
South Africa has a well-developed, world-class
agricultural and agro processing industry,
of which the South African dairy sector is no
exception. The dairy industry provides mostly for
the needs of the local market and also exports
different dairy products mainly to countries on
the African continent.
The South African dairy industry plays an active
role in the international dairy sector and has
been a permanent member of the IDF for many
years. We are therefore delighted to bring dairy
industries from all over the world together to
discuss topical issues such as sustainability,
science and technology, nutrition and health, food
safety, production, economics and marketing, to
mention but a few.
Cape Town is one of the most visited cities on
the continent and is renowned for its exquisite
beauty, metropolitan lifestyle and the presentation
of world-class events. As we prepare for the
2012 conference, we shall endeavour to exceed
all expectations and host the best World Summit
of the IDF ever.
Melt Loubser
President: South African National Committee of IDF (SANCIDF)
Welcome by the President of the International Dairy Federation
I am very happy to invite you
to our next IDF World Dairy
Summit in South Africa, often
called 'the rainbow country'
as it is such a colourful and
diverse nation. I have no doubt
about how enjoyable and fruitful our visit to this
beautiful and friendly country will be.
I am also convinced that the overall theme of
the summit, World in one country, will inspire
us during our stay. With its wide variety of
farming systems, varied climate, diverse
markets and vast range of cultures, South
Africa will be a unique platform for sharing
different experiences and practices. This will
provide important new insights as we set about
exploring the challenges ahead for the global
dairy industry.
Drawing on its African setting, next year's
programme will include several significant new
features. There will be a conference devoted
to dairy in emerging countries, focusing on the socio-economic benefits of dairying. Benefits
for dairy processors will also not be overlooked.
Food security, and particularly how the dairy
industry can contribute, will play an important
role in this summit, as this is a core issue in Africa
and indeed across the globe. Animal health
and welfare will also be part of the programme,
with a particular focus on future challenges to
control the spread of animal diseases.
In this unique learning environment, participants
are guaranteed to take away a fresh outlook,
new friends, contacts, resources and ideas
that could make a huge difference in profitably
managing their dairy business, activity or
work.
Join us in this truly international dairy event and meet
dairy leaders from around the world coming together
to seek new ways of increasing cooperation in order
to further the value of dairy products, ingredients
and knowledge, and working towards meeting the
needs of tomorrow's consumers.
If you want insight into the South African dairy
sector and to be given the opportunity to share
different practices, this is the event to take part in!
I look forward to wide-ranging and fruitful discussions with you.
Richard Doyle
IDF President
Welcome by the Premier of the Western Cape: Helen Zille
On behalf of the Western Cape
Government, I warmly welcome
you to the International Dairy
Federation (IDF) World Dairy
Summit and Exhibition 2012.
I would like to thank the IDF for choosing Cape
Town and our beautiful province as your summit
venue. The Western Cape is becoming known
as a major business tourism destination, partly
due to international summits and exhibitions like
yours, which will attract around 800 delegates
from 70 international countries to our province.
The province's dairy industry is worth over R2
billion, which makes the Western Cape the
biggest milk-producing region in the country. As
a result, the dairy industry is a major provider
of food and job opportunities and also supports
many other farming enterprises, such as
agricultural mechanisation, in the province.
However, the industry is facing numerous challenges,
the low producer price of milk in particular, which
has resulted in low profit margins and has forced
some dairy farmers to leave the industry over the
last while. As a result, the industry is continuously
searching for ways in which to increase yields, while
at the same time reduce input costs.
It is clear that government needs to work with
farmers, the private sector and other strategic
partners to develop innovative solutions and
policies to address this situation.
I therefore welcome this summit, as it will
provide the platform for government, world dairy
leaders, businesses and multinational operations
from developed and developing countries to
network and have important discussions on
issues affecting the dairy industry, including
the latest developments in the green economy,
technological advances, food safety and
hygiene, nutrition and health, animal health and
welfare and dairy economics.
I hope that the deliberations here assist us in
finding new and efficient ways to support and
develop the dairy industry and I wish all delegates
a stimulating and constructive engagement.
Helen Zille
Premier of the Western Cape
