Farm Management

IDF Standing Committee on Farm Management

Finalization of update of IDF/FAO Guide to Good Dairy Farming Practice
Initiation and progress of new work on IDF/FAO Guide on hygienic practices at farm level
Payment systems for ex farm milk

To consider aspects of animal reproduction influencing performance and health and aspects of milk production and farm management which impact the efficiency and ethics of production, labour conditions and farmers’ returns;
To develop new machine milking with introduction of required standards and testing procedures and work in cooperation with and provide support to ISO;
To determine the influence of animal feeding on milk quality in different parts of the world;
To cooperate with international organizations in dairy-farm-management-related topics (FAO, OIE);
To maintain contact with other Standing Committees, for example, Animal health, Dairy policies and economics, Environment, Microbiological hygiene and Residues and chemical contaminants on the implications of their findings in the context of farm management.

Completion of IDF/FAO/IFCN Project “World mapping of animal feeding systems in the dairy sector” (see www.dairyfeedingsystems.org)
Finalization of Inventory of methods of analysis for the evaluation of the changes of milk composition with regard to animal feeding changes
IDF monitoring and input to new Codex work related to animal feeding (work item of the SCRCC)

To develop options for and implications from changing animal diets targeted at reducing carbon footprint (predominantly related to methane emissions from enteric fermentation);
To develop options for and implications from changing animal diets in view of nutrient composition in milk in the context of human health and nutrition and in view of impending climate changes (predominantly referring to changing weather patterns and more extreme weather conditions);
To identify the consequences of changing animal diets with regard to animal welfare, animal health, and productivity;
To support the IDF SC on Residues and Chemical Contaminants in monitoring and proving input to the work of the new Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Codex Task Force on Animal Feeding;
To ultimately develop an IDF scientific-technical monograph on animal feeding in the dairy sector, taking into account the various requirements including productivity, animal welfare, human nutrition, and sustainability.