Celebrate Dairy For World Milk Day 2021 Says FUW

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is encouraging consumers across the world to raise a glass to milk and dairy products on World Milk Day – Tuesday 1 June 2021. World Milk Day was first launched in 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to celebrate and increase public awareness about the nutritional and economic importance of milk and milk products around the globe.

Speaking from his Pembrokeshire dairy farm, FUW Vice President Dai Miles said: “We are calling on everybody to celebrate and drink milk on June 1st. There are so many benefits of including milk and dairy in our lives – nutritionally, economically and environmentally.

“The FUW recognises the importance of milk as a global food and is celebrating World Milk Day to increase public awareness about all aspects of natural milk such as its natural origin and nutritional value as well as its economic importance throughout the globe.”

Milk is the fifth largest provider of energy and the third largest provider of protein and fat for humans. “Milk and dairy products are nutrient-dense foods supplying energy and significant amounts of protein and micronutrients, which are essential to reduce hunger and malnutrition particularly amongst the most vulnerable such as pregnant women and children,” said Mr Miles.

In addition to providing children with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to keep them healthy, milk is especially important to help build and maintain strong bones. 

“Milk is an important source of healthy nutrients including calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, iodine, iron, potassium, folates, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, protein and fat. It’s a food product that’s sustainably produced across Welsh and UK farms and I encourage you to include it in your diet,” he added.

Addressing concerns of animal welfare in the industry, Mr Miles stressed that dairy farmers, like others in the agricultural industry in the UK and Wales, already comply with and produce to world leading standards.

“Our dairy farmers comply with some of the highest regulations on animal health and welfare, as well as environmental standards. Consumers can rest assured that milk from Wales has been produced sustainably and with the environment in mind. As dairy farmers we rely on our cows being healthy and the ground they graze to be healthy too. That is reflected in an outstanding, trustworthy product that keeps us healthy and the rural economy flourishing,” he added.