IDF goat and sheep milk symposium goes digital

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The webinars will be of interest to scientists and other professionals involved in the sheep, goat, and other non-cow dairy sectors.

Originally set for May 2020 in Brussels, Belgium, but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the 8th International Dairy Federation (IDF) international symposium on sheep, goat, and other non-cow milk have decided on a digital format, with webinars to be held from November 4 to 6, 2020.

The online event will still cover sustainability, nutrition, animal health, milk production strategies and processing technologies, quality and safety from farm to table, and novel milk products.

The IDF said the webinars will be of interest to scientists and other professionals involved in the sheep, goat, and other non-cow dairy sectors.

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 1.84bn goats and sheep around the world play a 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 is an opportunity to find out more about this part of the dairy sector.

Topics 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.

IDF Caroline Emond, IDF director general, said, “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."

Further information on the Symposium for existing and new registrants along with full details of the updated program can be found on the IDF website: www.fil-idf.org/sheepandgoat2020