With New Zealand getting ready to host the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit this year, DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown attended the 2025 event in Chile.
Inside Dairy
1 min read
Tracy Brown served as a judge and presented awards at the 2025 IDF Dairy Innovation Awards during the World Dairy Summit in Chile.
The International Dairy Federation (IDF) is a global organisation connecting dairy experts, farmers and scientists to share knowledge, set standards and explore trends shaping the dairy sector. DairyNZ Board chair Tracy Brown shares her key takeaways from its 2025 World Dairy Summit.
Attending the summit was a real privilege. It’s one of the most important gatherings for the global dairy community bringing together farmers, processors, scientists and sector leaders.
Being in South America highlighted both the similarities and differences with our farms – they have similar pasture-based systems and climates, but often more labour and more specialised roles on-farm. It reminded me to appreciate things we sometimes take for granted, like easy access to vets and machinery services.
We had a farmer round table with around 60 farmers from across the world. While every country has unique challenges, some common themes came through – mainly water management, climate change and succession planning.
In some countries, succession is highly regulated, which is a stark contrast to NZ’s sharemilking system and the freedom farmers have to choose their own pathway.
It was encouraging to see that many others are working on similar water and climate issues, which shows the sector globally is moving in the same direction.
That was a real highlight. The awards had over 130 entries from 23 countries, showing the growing momentum across the global dairy community. Innovation is clearly a global priority – whether it’s improving efficiency, sustainability, or animal welfare, there’s a strong commitment to progress. It was inspiring to see so many practical ideas being developed and shared internationally.
Hosting the summit is a huge chance to showcase New Zealand’s systems, innovation and people to the world. There will be field visits, networking opportunities, and sessions where international delegates can learn directly from Kiwi farmers.
It’s also a great way for our farmers to see global trends, bring ideas back home, and build connections that could benefit their businesses. I’d encourage farmers to be curious, get involved where they can, and take pride in the spotlight we’ll have next year.
Find out more about the 2026 IDF World Dairy Summit taking place in New Zealand 15-20 November at idfwds2026.com
This article was originally published in Inside Dairy February-April 2026.
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