News

Dairy industry strives to end hunger, improve health

The president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council says dairy producers play a big role in tackling hunger issues around the world.

Krysta Harden tells Brownfield the U.S. dairy industry has helped broaden access to nutritious foods for the rising number of people facing food insecurity. “Many, many countries are dairy producers themselves, but they’re just deficient. They cannot produce enough of demand for their own population. So, we work hand in hand with regional governments, regional farmers and different countries to help the consumer understand the role of dairy.”

She says dairy foods can be part of healthy eating patterns. “When you talk food security, many times that is the source in a lot of countries around the world. If you own a dairy cow, you can feed your family, maybe somebody else’s. Of course, that’s not the case in the U.S. We’re much bigger dairies, but it’s a vital part of the world’s food security.”

The U.S Dairy Export Council says the number of dairy products distributed through Feeding America food banks doubled from 226 million pounds to 506 million pounds from 2016 to 2022.

Harden spoke to Brownfield at the 2023 World Food Prize Borlaug International Dialogue on Tuesday.

INTERVIEW: Krysta Harden – U.S. Dairy Export Council