The Global Dairy Platform continues to recruit new members. At the request of the GDP Board, we have now opened membership to dairy associations and, as a result, we welcome the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland, Dairy Management Inc., Danish Dairy Board, Dairy Council for Northern Ireland and the UK Dairy Council as recent new members.

Of course, GDP’s success will not only be contingent upon association participation. There already are a number of fine organisations that serve in this capacity. To reach its goals, GDP must also bring together the commercial players in the industry. These corporations have the opportunity to collaborate and set the agenda on pre-competitive issues to create a better trading environment for all dairy.

There is no question that the associations have a key part to play in addressing these issues, given their market knowledge and generic marketing skills, but they are not always in the best position to set the agenda of what is required on a global basis.

So, what should the global agenda be and how should we arrive at it? Helping GDP to identify key themes and gaps will be its scientific agenda and research database, which contains the list of current and past pre-competitive scientific research that has been conducted by commercial and non-profit organisations. Common communication themes can be identified by consultation with individual member companies. The Scientific and Communication Advisory Board will play a major role in sifting through this information and making recommendations for action at GDP’s Annual Meeting on 1October 2007 in Dublin, Ireland.

GDP’s strength lies in the collective strength of its commercial dairy leaders – leaders simply not found in any other forum. Their agreement will be critical in deciding which issues the industry needs to address to ensure our success in the global marketplace.