WFO joined Nestlé’s Dairy Plan launch, highlighting farmers as strategic partners in sustainable dairy transformation.

On 16 June, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) Secretary General Andrea Porro joined a webinar organised by its partner Nestlé and the Innovation Forum to launch Nestlé’s first Dairy Plan report. The report documents progress across emissions reduction, farmer livelihoods, animal welfare, and supply chain resilience.

Farmers at the Heart of Sustainable Dairy Transformation

The WFO Secretary General underscored that a key principle embedded in the Nestlé Dairy Plan — farmers as partners, not a problem — is the cornerstone of any effective sustainability transition. Farmers must be co-designers of the solutions they are asked to implement.

“Top-down programmes that bypass farmer knowledge and agency consistently fail. Meaningful farmer participation in decision-making, from national policy to supply chain governance, is not optional: it is the foundation,” he stressed.

He highlighted the need for policy coherence, economic viability, fair remuneration, and equal access to knowledge and technology as key conditions for sustainable dairy farming.

Investing in Young Farmers: Creating the Conditions for Sustainable Change

Screenshot from the webinar “Nestlé Dairy Plan in Action: Better for farmers, cows, the planet and people”

The WFO Secretary General also highlighted how the Nestlé Dairy Plan aligns with WFO’s advocacy priorities, particularly regarding young farmers.

Young farmers face significant financial barriers and are more likely to invest in sustainable practices when they can see a reliable market at the end. Targeted public policy support, which WFO advocates for, combined with the capacity of private-sector partners, such as Nestlé, to anchor supply chain finance tools, could unlock investments that facilitate young farmers’ entry into the sector.

The common thread is clear: young farmers do not need charity. They need systems that make sustainable farming the economically rational choice from day one.

The Road Ahead: Alliance, Advocacy, and Generational Renewal

The WFO Secretary General stressed the importance of cross-value-chain alliances, noting that when all actors work together, they can foster adoption of new practices, support fairer value distribution, improve access to markets, and ensure that farmers’ realities are better reflected in policy frameworks.

Initiatives such as the Nestlé Dairy Plan are essential to showcasing farmers as innovators and as key partners in building a sustainable food system.

Learn more about farmer-led climate-smart livestock and dairy practices worldwide in WFO’s recent publication, available HERE.

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Cover photo: Screenshot from the webinar “Nestlé Dairy Plan in Action: Better for farmers, cows, the planet and people”