According to ‘t Hart, by 2020, milk will be seen and handled worldwide as one of the most valuable foods. Its nutrients will be recognised for their positive effects on human health, he added.
“In northwest Europe, we can secure the global food supply with a minimum load on the environment and on our surroundings,” he said. “Why? Because northwest Europe offers the best natural conditions for the production of milk and because the dairy farmers there have an unrivalled capacity to combine this with modern technology.”
Cees ‘t Hart also said that it’s quite possible that innovations currently being prepared by the Dutch Courage Foundation, such as the ‘Cowfortable’ initiative, would be broadly rolled out by 2020.
“Imagine that by 2020, dairy and sustainability are no longer an issue,” said ‘t Hart. “Possible scenarios include FrieslandCampina’s plants running on green energy and dairy entrepreneurs being rewarded for low energy consumption per litre of milk produced.”
FrieslandCampina has built itself strong positions in Europe and in parts of Asia and Africa. The CEO believes that in 10 years’ time, his company will pursue its expansion and will be active and successful in many more countries than it is at present.
“Whether we achieve this isn’t of course something we will decide but will depend on our consumers, buyers, employees and member dairy farmers, just as it does now,” ‘t Hart said. “At the moment, FrieslandCampina is a collective of enterprising dairy farmers, but by 2020 it will be a collective of dairy entrepreneurs.
“These might include alliances of entrepreneurs who are concentrating on low-cost production for the global market, entrepreneurs who are producing milk specifically for cheese, or entrepreneurs who are turning out hi-tech milk for medical applications. By 2020, these entrepreneurs will be deciding for themselves which markets, milk, types of dairy business and hence which alliances tie in best with their goals and capacities as commercial operators”.
Source: FrieslandCampina
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