IDF symposium on goat, sheep and other non-cow milks goes digital

Good news for those interested in the world of non-cow milks as the 8th IDF International symposium on sheep, goat, and other non-cow milk, moves to a digital format. Originally planned for May 2020 in Brussels, Belgium but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers have decided on a new approach for the leading event on milk originating from other ruminants than cows, with webinars to be held on 4, 5 and 6 November 2020.

As before, the now exclusively digital event will cover sustainability, nutrition, animal health, milk production strategies and processing technologies, quality and safety from farm to table, and novel milk products. The webinars will be of vital interest to scientists and other professionals involved in sheep, goat, and other non-cow dairy sectors.

Said Caroline Emond, IDF Director General: “As we see travel restrictions continuing in many parts of the world, moving to a webinar format allows us to continue to share knowledge on this important topic. It also gives us an opportunity to connect with many more attendees from across the globe interested in learning about safe and nutritionally valuable non-bovine milk products.”

While cows produce much of the world’s milk supply, goat, sheep, and other non-cow milks are also widely distributed throughout the world. The 1.84 billion goats and sheep globally play a vital role in the lives of livestock keepers, providing income and invaluable nutrition. Their management is often done by women, providing livelihoods and a path out of poverty for many. The Symposium presents a valuable opportunity to find out more about this essential part of the dairy sector.

Topics to be discussed on the agenda include socio-economic sustainability, policies and social aspects of non-cow milk production; Managing sheep farm performances  to improve productivity and environmental performance; The medicinal values of camel milk and its significance for food security; Udder health and mastitis in small ruminants; How processing of sheep milk impacts human digestion; Development of novel products based on donkey milk; Processing technologies for non-bovine milk: opportunities and challenges and why somatic cell counts in goat milk matter.

The first-ever exclusively IDF virtual IDF International symposium on sheep, goat, and other non-cow milk will be held on the 4, 5 and 6th November 2020. Participants will have the opportunity to attend all 3 days of the event or per day, with a discount for IDF members and students. For more visit fil-idf.org/sheepandgoat2020