Can dairy play a role in the challenges of feeding the expanding global population?

With a projected population growth of approximately 2.4 billion people, the world will have to feed approximately 9.2 billion people by the year 2050. To meet these demands, it is estimated that overall food production would have to increase by approximately 70 % while the demand for food products including dairy, meat and vegetable oils are predicted to grow much faster than for cereals.

In order to meet these growing demands, upscaling of food production must be both nutritious and sustainable. From a nutritional perspective, dairy can play an important role in achieving a healthy, balanced diet as it provides energy, protein and a number of essential micronutrients. Research and innovation in technology and farming methods are assisting dairy production to increase in a sustainable manner. Therefore, dairy is well placed to play a role in meeting growing global demands for more nutritious food.