Dairy Australia recognised for Environmental Tracker with international industry award

Dairy Australia has picked up an International Dairy Federation award for its Farm Environmental Tracker at the IDF Dairy Innovations Awards 2023.

The awards were held at a ceremony at the IDF World Dairy Summit 2023 in Chicago, United States.

Dairy Australia was awarded the Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices — Environment Award, along with French company Bioret Agri for its Aqualim Thermodynamic.

The Farm Environment Tracker is available to dairy farmers in Australia as a tool to assess and measure the farm’s performance, as well as to identify improvement opportunities.

Farmers are able to complete an assessment and then evaluate the farm by using the benchmarking tool to review performance and compare the farm to others that have already entered their details into the system as part of tracker.

A plan can also develop a list of actions to help improve current on-farm environmental management, as well as gain access to learning and development resources to help farmers make better on-farm business decisions.

IDF president Piercristiano Brazzale said the awards were part of an initiative designed to celebrate and encourage innovative practices across the global dairy sector.

“With a particular focus on sustainability, both in terms of environmental care and positive social impact, the awards seek to stimulate innovative practices that improve farming and processing of milk and dairy foods,” Mr Brazzale said.

“Innovation, as we envision it, is all about introducing novel approaches to designing, producing, and marketing goods and services that create positive change.

“It is the driving force that propels us forward and allows us to remain at the forefront of our field.

“This innovation must be deeply intertwined with scientific research and knowledge, forging a symbiotic relationship that ensures continual progress.”

This year the IDF awards received 173 entries from 26 countries, making it “a remarkable 20 per cent increase” compared to the number of entries received in the 2022 edition.

Mr Brazzale said the amount of entries in the awards highlighted the dairy sector’s commitment to innovation and sustainability had no boundaries and could be found in “every link of the milk and dairying production chain”.

Award recipients present at the event received their awards while offering acceptance speeches to an audience of dairy experts and leaders.

Those not in attendance sent acceptance videos that were shown during the ceremony.

Tetra Pak, US and Canada, president and chief executive Seth Teply was the keynote speaker at the event, and delivered “some inspiring words to all the winners, finalists, and attendees”, Mr Brazzale said.

In 2022 the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards were launched in India, in partnership with Zenith Global and supported by Tetra Pak.