Danish food tech can make global food production more sustainable and efficient
Denmark is a food nation with a proud tradition of innovative technology and solutions for efficient agricultural practices and food production. Danish food technology can play an essential role in facing the global challenge of providing enough nutritious food to meet the demands of a growing population.
The global population is accelerating. By 2050, the world population will consist of almost ten billion people, according to the UN’s world population prospects.* In addition to a growing population, the general living standards are on the rise in developing countries.
Every year, more and more people demand safe, healthy and affordable foods. Even though the global society is facing a potential crisis of supply, the UN estimates that one third of global food production is either lost or wasted before ending up on a plate. Knowhow and solutions for efficient food production and distribution are strongly needed to minimise food loss and waste and to ensure sufficient access to foods suited for an active, healthy life.
DENMARK AS EXPORT DRIVEN TECHNOLOGY LEADERS
The urgent call for more intelligent, high-tech and efficient food production is a great opportunity for the Danish food sector. Considering its small size, Denmark has a very large number of companies that are export driven technology leaders within their field.
As one of the strongest stakeholders on the international dairy scene, Arla Foods has become a world leader in producing and distributing safe and affordable dairy products worldwide. Innovative food technology is one of the keystones in reaching this position. According to Peder Tuborgh, CEO at Arla Foods, Danish agriculture and food companies will play an important role in making quality food accessible in foreign markets:
Innovation is key to developing new sustainable solutions. For Arla, innovation is at the heart of our business and with advanced research and technology, we successfully utilise the many different ingredients which milk contains. One good example of this innovation is whey. Whey was once seen as a waste product, but today, we specialise in optimising the use of this high quality ingredient in infant formula, clinical- and sports nutrition, health foods and other foods and beverages
MOVING TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD
The GAIN Nordic Partnership is a great example of how Danish food technology can entail a more intelligent global food production. In a three-year cooperation project with Arla Food Ingredients as a leading partner, a technology for a new nutrient dairy product was developed to boost healthy food production in Ethiopia.
The GAIN Nordic partnership co-developed a whey vitamin mix that can be added to local milk in developing countries, resulting in an affordable, highly nutrient yoghurt. Using Danish technology and local milk, this dairy product can be produced easily and inexpensively. Thus, the product is a crucial component in defeating malnutrition, especially for mothers and children in the developing part of the world.
According to Peder Tuborgh, The GAIN Nordic Partnership is a great example of how collaborations and Danish innovative technology can benefit the health of the global population: “The partnership GAIN is a very good example of how collaborations between companies, NGOs and authorities can be successful and make a real difference in people’s lives. In Arla, we are guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and want to contribute to ensure that all people have access to affordable nutrition, especially in developing countries. It is particularly motivating to see how Arla’s expertise in dairy products and production can make a significant change for undernourished children.”