EMF members organised a symposium during the EFAD (European Federation of the
Associations of Dietitians) Congress in Malmö on 25th October 2025.
The symposium explored ‘The role of dairy foods in healthy, sustainable diets in Europe –
nutrition, environment and farming perspectives’
Chair: Pauline Douglas, EFAD Honorary Treasurer and Dietetic Coordinator at Ulster
University, Northern Ireland
Click on a presentation to download it:
Dr Anne Nugent, Reader in Nutrition, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland
Balancing the plate: nutritional adequacy in sustainable diets
Dr Nugent looked at the challenges of striking the right balance between ‘nutrition’ and
‘environment’ in achieving healthy, sustainable diets, and the considerable gap which exists
between current eating patterns and ones which are both healthy and sustainable. She
highlighted potential risks of missing out on important nutrients such as iodine, and the big
challenge for many in achieving the dietary changes needed.
Dr Anders Herlin, Associate Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Environmental impact and sustainability deliveries in dairy farming
Dr Herlin pointed out that agriculture is a complex multidimensional system, linking
resources, land, crops, animals and practices. The impact of dairy on the environment is
sometimes oversimplified focusing only on emissions but the reality is much more complex
and nuanced with positives of farming practices such as biodiversity maintenance and soil
health and resilience. The challenge is to totally capture agriculture in calculations and
models.
Hanne Line Skovgaard Revsbech, Dairy Farmer and Agrarian Economist, Denmark
A dairy farmer’s perspective: cows, community and carbon footprints
Hanne Line Skovgaard Revsbech described what happens on her dairy farm from
implementing innovations and practical measures to help improve sustainability, to her and
her family’s passion for farming to the place of her farm in the local community. On
sustainability and dairy farming, Line said “My most important task is to leave the farm and the land to the next generation in good shape – like it was for my parents and the ones before them”.
