Long-time Dairy Farmers of Canada executive director Richard Doyle has become only the second Canadian president of the International Dairy Federation.
At an IDF meeting in Mexico City Nov. 13, Doyle was elected to the position last held by a Canadian in the 1970s.
It is an international organization of dairy producers, processors, government regulators and scientists that deals mainly with technical, regulatory and research issues.
Part of its work is making sure consistent and effective testing, labelling and safety rules are accepted internationally.
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“We are largely a group that deals with technical, scientific and regulatory issues,” Doyle said.
“We stay away from political issues like trade talks.”
As an example, when the dairy industry was convulsed in the 1990s with the debate over whether bovine growth hormone was an acceptable product to be used in dairy herds, the IDF stayed out of the political fray.
It produced studies on the science and health implications of the growth hormone but did not make a political case about whether governments should approve or deny use of the drug.
Doyle noted that at the domestic level, milk producers and dairy processors are often political or policy rivals.
“But at the IDF, we work together on issues of research, nutrition, standards, labelling and productivity,” he said.
“These are things that benefit all players in the industry.”
Doyle has worked for Dairy Farmers of Canada for 32 years and has long been involved in IDF affairs, including work in some of its expert committees.
Scores of Canadian officials and scientists are involved in IDF committees.
The organization has a small staff at its Brussels head office but benefits from the help of dairy industry officials and experts, governments and scientists in 56 countries representing 85 percent of world dairy production.
It deals with issues of animal welfare, dairy standards, labelling and health and works with international agencies such as the World Organization for Animal Health, Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization.
Doyle will chair board meetings and the twice-annual general membership meetings and travel to dairy meetings to promote membership in the IDF to countries not now members.
He said it will take up to 25 percent of his time, but he will continue to be executive director for Dairy Farmers of Canada.
“The people who report to me here know very well what they are doing,” he said in Ottawa.
“They may be happy that I won’t be around so much to interfere.”
