Dairy: Food for Life

Dairy: Food for Life A S T R AT E G Y T O P R O M O T E I R I S H M I L K & DAIRY PRODUCTS 2008 - 2012

Executive Summary

A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

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Executive Summary

Background to the NDC The National Dairy Council (“NDC”), formerly known as the National Dairy Publicity Council, was established in 1964 with the key objective of maintaining and supporting growth in consumption of milk and dairy products in Ireland.

Originally founded as a semi-state body, the organisation evolved to become an industry-funded organisation subsequent to Ireland joining the EEC in 1973. Initially financed through a combination of Exchequer and EU funding and now largely by the farmer levy, the NDC quickly found its place at the forefront of industry, gaining prominence as the spokesperson on dairy matters and undertaking many high profile advertising campaigns and promotional events.

The Council’s role in the generic promotion of milk and dairy products presided through many changes that took place both at industry and at market level. In 1978, the organisation was one of the first food agencies in Ireland to employ a nutritionist in recognition of the need to promote the health and nutritional benefits of dairy products amidst increased consumer interest in healthy eating.

This ongoing need to inform and educate the Irish public on the goodness and nutritional value of dairy products has continued to act as the key focal point for the organisation and has been manifested through several high profile TV advertising campaigns in recent years.

Strategic Review Process In September 2007, the Board of the NDC decided to embark on a strategic review of the organisation and its activities with the aim of developing a clear roadmap for the future, encompassed in a new five year strategic plan (2008-2012).

Notwithstanding the successes of the past, this decision was taken by the Board to ensure that the organisation would continue to deliver services of real value and relevance to the Irish dairy sector into the future.

Central to the development of this strategy was the review and consultation process undertaken, which involved significant engagement with key stakeholder groups involved in the dairy sector including: •

Farmers – over 120 farmers completed a questionnaire at the National Ploughing Championships and Millstreet National Dairy Show;

•

Co-operatives/Dairy Processors – the NDC CEO met with senior management/Boards of dairy processors in addition to senior management and Board of the Irish Dairy Board;

•

Dairy Representative Organisations – IFA Dairy Committee; ICMSA; National Milk Agency; National Dairies Association; Irish Dairy Industry Association; IFA Fresh Milk Producers Group;

•

Government Departments/Agencies – Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food, Food Safety Authority, Safefood;

•

Media – CEO meetings with a cross-section of media correspondents involved in the food/dairy sector;

•

Consumers – a series of consumer focus groups were undertaken in addition to a nationally representative survey on consumer attitudes towards milk and dairy products.

In addition, as part of the review process, the study of twelve international comparable models provided the opportunity to compare the existing business model of the NDC with other similar organisations. Equally, the roles of collective bodies including the International Dairy Federation (IDF), International Milk Promotion Group (IMP) and the

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A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

newly established Global Dairy Platform (GDP) served in understanding the benefits of international networking and collective thinking on dairy-related issues.

On concluding this process, it was very clear that the NDC had reached a watershed in its life and needed to reposition its services to become a key agency in the dairy support infrastructure. However, while there were several critical messages emerging from the consultation process, there was also a very strong consensus view expressed in the need for the organisation more than ever in today’s changing environment.

The strong core message was that the NDC had performed an important function in the past but that the challenging market and consumer trends mean that its future role must undergo fundamental change in order for the organisation to retain its relevance.

The support of existing stakeholders therefore, who continue to fund the organisation, particularly through this transition period, is recognised in this respect and serves as a strong endorsement of the potential role the NDC can play in the future to support the sector.

The Dairy Sector in Context Ireland’s long tradition in dairying has led to the well-established dairy industry that exists today, internationally recognised for its innovation, technological, marketing and brand capability. Providing employment for just over 22,000 farmers, 9,000 employees in the processing industry and an additional 4,500 positions in support and ancillary services, the dairy sector forms the largest component of Ireland’s food and drink industry exporting €2.36 billion annually and representing 27% of all food and drink exports.

Producing an estimated 5,235 million litres per annum, the sector has evolved from a narrow product portfolio position dominated by butter to a more diversified range reflecting the technology depth in the sector and the effective value-added business model adopted. In this context, 2007 saw €114 million awarded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food towards supporting developments in innovation, increased productivity and new product development to further drive the competitiveness of the sector.

Equally, at farming level, the sector has experienced major changes with rationalisation occurring in recent years and this is expected to continue. The number of dairy farmers has reduced from 68,000 in 1984 to the current figure of just over 22,000 and this has resulted in larger farm sizes and increases in the average quota to the current level of 231,000 litres. Amidst this change, there have been major developments at farm level with almost €1.5 billion invested between 2007 and 2008.

The future potential of the sector is therefore recognised with the prospect for market expansion and growth envisaged despite the uncertainty of evolving WTO negotiations and the CAP Health Check reforms. The absence of public stocks within the EU is a particular feature of this positive outlook for dairy product prices with the International Dairy Federation (IDF) stating that “the current surge in demand is not just current and has been present over a number of years, but a significant amount of “new” demand has been met from Intervention stocks which have now disappeared.”

Combined with a number of international factors including projected world population growth, energy prices, increased fuel demand and demand for renewable energy resources, climatic effects, growing demand for dairy

A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

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products in China and India and the prospect of quota abolition, this new price paradigm emanating from the changed supply and demand profile is in sharp contrast to both the intent and expectation of the reform of the EU dairy market support system which began in 2005.

Given the positive international outlook together with strong potential within the home market, the relative competitive position of the Irish dairy sector augers well for future prosperity.

Ireland’s Changing Market Landscape for Milk and Dairy Products The Irish market for milk and dairy products remains significant, valued at €1 billion with high levels of market penetration achieved. However, this enviable market position continues to be challenged in light of competing categories, dairy-free alternatives and health-related concerns, particularly in relation to cholesterol and recommended daily fat intake levels.

While the market is significant in size, on closer analysis, sales have reached a mature stage and for some products, are largely static or showing signs of decline.

Table 1(a): Performance of Irish Dairy Market (2001-2007)

Value of Irish Dairy Market

Source: Mintel/CSO

2001 (€ m)

2002 (€ m)

2003 (€ m)

2004 (€ m)

2005 (€ m)

2006 (€ m)

2007 (€ m)

820

851

868

901

925

957

981

Table 1(b): Projected Growth of Irish Dairy Market (2008-2012) Value of Irish Dairy Market

Source: Mintel/CSO

2008 (€ m)

2009 (€ m)

2010 (€ m)

2011 (€ m)

2012 (€ m)

1,008

1,035

1,062

1,088

1,115

As is illustrated, the market grew by 17% to €957 million over the 2001-2006 period and is projected to grow by 11% from 2008 up to 2012 to €1.115 billion. Milk forms a major component of sales, representing 44% of total sales at just over €440 million and remains largely static but showing signs of decline, while doorstep delivery continues to decline representing just over 7% of total sales today.

Opportunities for growth in butter, cheese and yogurt still remain positive and are largely being driven by innovation in new flavours, product varieties, portion sizes and pack formats to meet changing consumer demands. Increased focus on health issues will be a critical factor for the future, particularly for butter and cheese as will the continued competition from international brands.

A key feature of retail sales is the growing dominance of private label, particularly for milk, with retailers holding an estimated 50% of market share for fresh milk and continuing to win share from competing branded products. This poses a number of key concerns for industry in relation to the commoditisation of product and the consequent downward pressure on pricing.

At consumer level, the prospects for the sector are positive with Ireland continuing to enjoy economic growth and despite a global slowdown, prospects remain good with Ireland’s economic growth level projected to grow at 2% per annum up to 2015.

There are a number of key changes in the consumer landscape that pose both challenges and opportunities for milk and dairy products. Domestic demand should grow on the basis of population projections from the Central Statistics Office, which forecast an increase of 20% in population up to over 5 million by 2021. However, with Ireland becoming a country of net immigration, this will be challenging as some of the migrant population are entering from geographies where milk and dairy consumption is not established within the mainstay dietary habits.

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A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

The continued strong birth rates demonstrate potential for milk and dairy products as does the growing ageing population and increased life expectancy. Also, the general increased focus on health and wellbeing and the link with diet is driving consumers to take a greater interest in healthy eating and a desire for natural foods despite the growing problems of obesity, particularly amongst the younger generation.

Time pressures, long commuting distances, smaller household sizes and less time spent on food preparation are leading to over reliance on convenience foods and inadequate nutrient intake. Given the nutritional value of dairy foods, it will be critical to retain strong consumption levels for the future. Milk and dairy products are well positioned from a health and nutrition perspective but face strong competition from heavily marketed brands with subsequent intake of dairy foods below the three portions per day recommended by the Department of Health and Children.

In addition, consumers are becoming more “issue” driven considering ethical issues and environmental issues when making food choices. Terms such as “food miles” and “carbon footprints” are now commonly used and can determine purchasing decisions, which also has important implications for the dairy sector.

Given the anticipated demographic changes and the increased consumer desire for products that are both natural and healthy, the market outlook for milk and dairy is positive and provides the backdrop for the development of the future roadmap for the NDC. However, the evolving complexities and dynamics pose real challenges for the future in driving the positive position and consumption of dairy foods. This will require a detailed understanding of the market and effective communications and marketing strategies to be deployed.

Vision In this regard, the NDC’s vision is:

………to be the authoritative and trusted voice in advancing the consumer perception and consumption of Irish milk and dairy products.

The realisation of this vision will help to position the NDC as an important contributor to the sustainability and growth of milk and dairy in Ireland.

The Board and management of the NDC are ever mindful of the fact that as an organisation, it is funded by the dairy farmers of Ireland. As such, their interests and the long-term sustainability of the sector are at the heart of the organisation’s raison d’être.

Mission Thus, the mission of the NDC is:

………to support Irish dairy farmers by driving the positive position and consumption of milk and dairy products through integrated marketing and communications programmes, based on informed scientific evidence.

Delivering on this mission will result in many benefits to the sector, not least the strengthening of the position of milk and dairy in the minds of consumers, more informed and streamlined lines of communication to various media and interest groups as well as back into the sector, resulting in an uplift in the consumption of milk and dairy within the home market.

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Core Values The values that the NDC wish to convey and embed in the culture and ways-of-working of the organisation are encapsulated in the diagram below.

I nn

va

For wa rd

e tiv

oo -L

o

Figure 1: National Dairy Council’s Core Values

king

sib

r ho Aut

ita

le

Trusted

tiv e

es c c A

Trusted: The NDC will seek to build trust with key stakeholder groups through the provision of well-informed and balanced views and information.

Innovative: The NDC will strive to be innovative, bringing new ideas and a fresh approach to the work undertaken.

Forward-looking: The NDC will endeavour to be forward-looking, pre-empting issues and matters of interest and importance to the funders and the milk and dairy sector.

Authoritative: The NDC will ensure that the views and opinions of the organisation are rooted in robust scientific research so that it can speak with authority.

Accessible: The NDC will at all times engage openly with the many stakeholder groups and be accessible and responsive.

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A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

Strategic Objectives Consistent with, and underpinning, the Vision and Mission for the organisation, the NDC aims to achieve the following between 2008 and 2012.

1. Enhance the position and image of milk and dairy products through a proactive and well-informed

advocacy and communications strategy.

2. Increase the consumption of milk by young people by leading the re-vitalisation of the School Milk

Scheme at primary and secondary levels.

3. Strengthen the position and image of milk and dairy in terms of usage and attitudes amongst all target

consumer segments by means of more informed market research and delivery of effective marketing

campaigns.

4. Inform, advise and publicly represent the milk and dairy industry through building a systematic approach

to, and competency in, Issues Management.

5. Be recognised as the national centre of knowledge on dairy nutrition and related matters of importance

to consumers.

6. Restructure and develop the NDC as a competent, efficient and effective organisation operating to a

high standard of integrity and accountability, thereby delivering value to funders and key stakeholders.

Success or otherwise in the attainment of these objectives will be the main basis on which the success of the NDC will be evaluated.

The achievement of these objectives requires the NDC to engage in a wide range of activities which are organised into discrete work programmes.

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Outline of Work Programmes There are six key work programmes which correlate to a specific strategic objective: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Advocacy & Communications Programme School Milk & Dairy Programme Marketing & Promotion Programme Issues Management Programme Nutrition Programme Accountability & Corporate Governance Programme

The overall aims of these work programmes are summarised in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Summary of National Dairy Council Work Programmes National Dairy Council - Key Work Programmes

Advocacy & Communications

School Milk & Dairy Programme

Marketing & Promotion

Issues Management

Nutrition

Accountability & Governance

Act as the trusted advocate for the Irish dairy sector & implement a proactive communications strategy

Lead the development of a new consumer focused School Milk & Dairy Programme

Strengthen the position and image of Irish milk and dairy products through effective targeted marketing campaigns based on informed market insight

Develop and implement an Issues Management Plan for the dairy sector on consumer matters

Be recognised as the national centre of knowledge on dairy nutrition

Develop the NDC as an efficient, competent organisation delivering value to its members

1. Advocacy & Communications Programme Fundamental to the success of the Irish dairy sector is the necessity to ensure that milk and dairy products are positioned positively within the minds of consumers. This requires a concerted effort to combat the unsubstantiated, inaccurate facts and misinformation that are currently being provided to consumers.

The purpose of the Advocacy & Communications Programme therefore, is to establish the NDC as the trusted and respected advocate for the Irish dairy sector and to take a proactive approach in communicating the health and nutritional benefits of milk and dairy products to the consumer.

In order to achieve this, the programme will be based on informed scientific evidence, distilled into user-friendly arguments, which will form the basis of specific communications campaigns for key target groups. In this context, it is recognised that the key target may not always be the consumer but groups who are important influencers on consumer purchasing decisions (e.g.. medical profession, media).

Information will also be prepared and relayed specifically for NDC members with the redevelopment of the NDC’s web site acting as a central communications platform in this respect, in facilitating regular updates, newsletters or alerts as required.

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A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

The success of the NDC’s role as an advocate will be determined by the level of recognition of the NDC as the first point of contact on all matters related to the consumption of dairy products and the subsequent recognition of the messages communicated by the NDC to the various stakeholder groups.

2. School Milk & Dairy Programme The School Milk Scheme has operated in Ireland since 1982 with 3.2 million gallons of milk sold at its peak in 1983.

The continued decline in participation in the scheme and the lack of drive to market milk and dairy products more appealingly to young people is a fundamental concern for the sector with the School Milk Scheme seen as the vehicle to drive the consumer base for the future.

The main goal of the School Milk & Dairy Programme therefore, is to lead the revitalisation of the School Milk Scheme and to obtain increased participation by children and teenagers in addition to increasing the number of schools involved nationally.

The new School Milk & Dairy Programme will seek to address key weaknesses within the existing scheme and will offer a more attractive and appealing product to children and teenagers, in addition to supporting that offering with significant marketing support.

The key deliverable for this programme will be to increase consumption of milk and other dairy products through the new programme in co-operation with NDC member dairies and through delivering a co-ordinated marketing drive to strengthen the position of milk and dairy products in the 5-18 year age bracket.

3. Marketing & Promotion Programme In parallel with undertaking specific communications campaigns, the need to maintain the visibility of milk and dairy products at consumer level and reinforce their relevance to consumer lifestyles is critical to support and drive consumption.

The purpose of the Marketing & Promotion Programme in this respect is to strengthen the image and position of dairy products in a way that is meaningful and impactful for consumers. Critical to this programme will be to gain deeper insight into consumer behaviour through establishing a more informed market insight tool to understand purchasing and usage behaviour in addition to attitudes, drivers and motivations within specific consumer segments.

This will facilitate the development of targeted marketing and promotion campaigns that will allow the NDC to inform, educate and strengthen the image and perception of dairy products. Consideration of appropriate tools and media geared to specific audiences will be necessary in addition to considering the potential for developing a quality/eco mark for members to allow for product differentiation at the point of purchase.

Through building knowledge and insight of the market, the NDC will deliver effective marketing campaigns to targeted consumer segments that complement and support NDC members’ marketing and brand activity.

4. Issues Management Programme While the Irish dairy sector has not suffered any significant crisis in consumer confidence to date, the importance of identifying potential issues and the management of these issues is believed critical to the success of the strategy and the continued safe passage of the industry.

In this context, the aim of the Issues Management Programme, is to ensure that the interests and concerns of the consumer are understood and prioritised in order to maintain their trust in the health and nutritional benefits of milk and dairy products.

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The NDC’s programme will be based on partnering and co-operating across several fields of expertise and will centre on the establishment of a National Issues Management Committee, comprised of industry representatives in addition to technical, scientific and nutritional experts as required.

By developing a comprehensive Issues Management Plan, the NDC will ensure that the objectives and targets of the strategy can be achieved while reducing the risk of exposure to unforeseen circumstances or threats that may arise.

5. Nutrition Programme Milk and dairy products contain a wide range of essential nutrients required for growth, development and overall health and wellbeing throughout one’s life cycle. Given such health properties which are scientifically robust and well-documented, the NDC is concerned at the confusing and sometimes inaccurate beliefs and perceptions held by consumers.

The aim of the Nutrition Programme therefore, is to provide the basis and foundation for communicating, marketing and promoting milk and dairy products to key target groups. The NDC will therefore strengthen the existing nutrition advisory service by widening the existing network and proactively interacting in the areas of clinical nutrition, community nutrition, business, industry research and education.

This will also require the NDC to adopt a more authoritative approach in working to assist in shaping future policy and the regulatory framework in which the dairy sector operates.

Forming the foundation for other programmes within the strategy and providing a solid scientific basis for the development of key messages to combat inaccurate and misinformation is the required deliverable. The key outcome therefore, is to position the NDC as a key centre of nutrition science and knowledge supporting the role of dairy foods as an integral part of a balanced diet and life style.

6. Accountability & Corporate Governance Programme As an externally funded body, the NDC is accountable to its supporters with the need to ensure that the organisation operates to a high standard of integrity. Equally critical to the success of the strategy is to ensure that the organisation is equipped with the appropriate skills and competence in order to drive the implementation of the strategy effectively.

The purpose of the Accountability & Corporate Governance Programme therefore, is to restructure and develop the NDC as a competent, efficient and effective organisation that has the respect of its stakeholders and funders.

This requires a restructuring programme to be undertaken in order to right-size the organisation, deploy the required set of competencies to deliver upon the strategy and to review the internal efficiencies of key functions carried out.

In addition, the programme will create the appropriate corporate governance structures, policies and procedures thereby encompassing the role and responsibilities of the Board, improving the overall integrity of the organisation.

While being different from the development programmes, this programme is viewed as a priority within the strategy in order to rebuild and maintain confidence in the work of the organisation, the success of which will be determined by the continuation and expansion of the funding required to implement the strategy.

Investment Plan Over the period 2008–2012, the NDC aims to invest €14 million in strengthening the position and driving the consumption of milk and dairy products. This is an unprecedented level of investment, which is essentially being made available by the dairy farmers of Ireland through the levy contribution. It is also important to acknowledge the annual contribution made by the Irish Dairy Board to the NDC, which is much appreciated.

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A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

However, the investment of €14 million is based on the current levy received from the industry and there is no doubt that the strategy will be further strengthened by the increased levy contribution of current non-members.

An illustrative breakdown of this investment programme over the key strategic areas of the plan is outlined below.

Table 2: NDC Planned Investment 2008-2012 2008 €m

2009 €m

2010 €m

2011 €m

2012 €m

Total €m

% of total

Advocacy & Communications Programme

0.3

0.5

0.5

0.6

0.6

2.5

18%

School Milk & Dairy Programme

0.45

0.7

0.8

0.8

0.8

3.55

25%

Marketing & Promotion Programme

1

1.2

1.2

1.3

1.3

6

43%

Issues Management Programme

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.7

5%

Nutrition Programme

0.25

0.25

0.25

0.25

0.25

1.25

9%

Total Investment

2.2

2.85

2.85

3.05

3.05

14

100%

The School Milk & Dairy Programme together with the Marketing & Promotion Programme represent the two most significant areas for investment, at just under 68% of the total.

At all times, it is intended to have a reserve of circa €1 million as a contingency fund in the event of an unforeseen event which requires immediate attention by the NDC. In making this level of investment, the NDC is mindful of the need to deliver real value to its funders and stakeholders, and in executing the proposed work programmes, delivering value-for-money will be a key priority.

What the Strategy Aims to Deliver As the NDC is not directly engaged in sales, it is believed particularly important to demonstrate the impact and value of the work programmes to both funders and stakeholders. CSO/Mintel projections for dairy are positive in forecasting an 11% increase over the 2008-2012 period to a total market value of €1.15 billion. In this capacity, the role of the NDC is to ensure that the programmes implemented within the context of the strategy, have a direct impact on helping to achieve this growth.

Based on the overall need to strengthen the position and image of milk and dairy products, omnibus research was commissioned by the NDC for the purpose of establishing baseline indicators on current consumer attitudes amongst the adult population (15+ years) in Ireland. The fieldwork was undertaken in April 2008 by TNS/MRBI and involved a nationally representative sample of 1,017 adults. The results proved very interesting in establishing a number of key issues at consumer level: •

•

•

While encourageingly, 4 in 5 adults claim to consume milk every day, over 25% disagree that they will consume more in the future. This is despite the fact that 94% believe milk provides key nutritional benefits for their health and wellbeing.

This likelihood of consumption also appears to decline with age (e.g. 86% of 15-24 year olds vs. 65% of 55+ claims they will consume more milk in the future) underlining the need to generate increased frequency of consumption.

Furthermore, 4 in 5 adults are of the opinion that teenagers are not consuming enough milk

demonstrating the awareness of this key issue highlighted in the recent Teen Survey (IUNA 2008).

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•

•

•

•

•

•

31% of the population disagree that milk is a natural, unprocessed food indicating the need to promote the natural image of milk with the linkage back to the farm/producer required for reassurance in this respect.

In addition, with 17% of the population believing that milk is harmful to their health, the focus on the nutritional benefits and health properties of milk is critical for the future.

Interestingly as well, about half of all adults believe soya milk is equally as good as cow’s milk, highlighting the growth and success of alternatives to dairy and presenting a clear challenge for the dairy sector.

While 90% of adults believe cheese is an essential source of calcium, there are clear health concerns regarding cholesterol and fat being detrimental to health.

Equally, the same concerns are expressed for butter particularly in the older age groups with 25% of those 55+ claiming to never use butter while 38% of all adults claim to be trying to cut down on using butter.

Finally, at a more general level, over 25% of adults believe they do not consume the recommended three servings of dairy per day for their health and wellbeing, which demonstrates both a challenge and opportunity to increase consumption frequency.

The results of the research have been analysed to create a set of performance indicators based on achieving consumer attitudinal shifts in key areas over the 2008-2012 period. These are illustrated below in Table 3 and show a projected 5-10% change over the five-year period, which will be tracked and monitored on an annual basis.

Table 3: Key Performance Indicators for National Dairy Council 2008-2012 2008 Agree

2012 Agree

% Change

Milk plays a vital role as part of a healthy balanced diet

53%

58-63%

+5-10%

Milk is a natural unprocessed food

69%

74-79%

+5-10%

Milk is something I will consume more of in the future

71%

76-81%

+5-10%

Butter can be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet

44%

49-54%

+5-10%

Cheese is beneficial to my health and is not fattening/detrimental if consumed in moderation

55%

60-65%

+5-10%

It is important for one’s health to consume three portions of dairy per day

71%

76-81%

+5-10%

Consumer Attitudes to Milk & Dairy Products

Source: TNS Phonebus Survey 2008

Aside from these indicators, specific targets have also been set for the School Milk & Dairy Programme, which are shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4: Key Performance Indicators for School Milk & Dairy Programme 2008-2012 School Milk & Dairy Programme Number of pupils/students participating Litres of milk consumed (million)

2008

2012

% Change

85,000*

114,750-127,500

+35-50%

3.7*

4.9-5.5

+35-50%

* Most recent figures by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (2004)

In the partnership with NDC member dairies, it is targeted to increase the current pupil/student numbers participating in the School Milk Scheme by 35-50% up to a projected level of 127,500. In achieving this increase in participation, it is projected that milk consumption can increase from the current 3.7 million litres up to a potential 5.5 million litres.

Central to the implementation of the strategy will be the continued evaluation of investment against these targets in measuring the overall effectiveness of the work programmes in achieving the strategic objectives set out.

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A Strategy to Promote Irish Milk & Dairy Products 2008 - 2012

The National Dairy Council 28 Westland Square Dublin 2, Ireland T F W

+353 (0)1 616 9726 +353 (0)1 616 9760 www.ndc.ie