Speaking on World Milk Day, Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “Milk is full of calcium and bone-building nutrients, which forms a crucial part of consumers diet. It is particularly important for our children who depend on milk and dairy products to grow healthily. That is why we actively support the EU’s School Milk Scheme which ensures that children get their daily supply of milk”.
“But it is not only important as part of a balanced diet, dairy production plays a crucial role for the economies and social fabric of rural areas, creating jobs where often no alternatives exist. EU milk producers and their dairy cooperatives, in total more than 1 million people, work together to ensure that milk and dairy produce are made according to strict food safety, traceability, animal welfare and environmental standards for our EU consumers”, he pointed out.
Moreover, milk producers contribute to sustainable development. Grasslands grazed by ruminants including dairy cows protect against soil erosion, limit floods, fires and avalanches and play an important role in the fight against climate change through their carbon sequestration role. Globally, permanent grasslands store 30% of world soil carbon, playing an essential role in the fight against climate change.
In view of these benefits and with farmers only getting a fraction of the price paid by consumers , he urged the Commission to tackle unfair trading practices in the food chain and to ensure that farmers get a fair return for their work.
