Dairy is the backbone of the economy. Alternatives resort to "disinformation"
The National Association of Dairy Industries (ANIL) argued today, in Leiria, that milk production is one of the pillars of Portuguese agriculture and a "significant part" of the agricultural economy, criticizing the misinformation about food alternatives.
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Economia ANIL
"The dairy industry is the main driver of value creation in the dairy sector and generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs throughout the country. Upstream of the industry, dairy production is one of the pillars of national agriculture, representing a significant part of the agricultural economy," defended the president of ANIL, Manuel Casimiro de Almeida, at the EnLácteos meeting -- Challenges of a Sustainable Industry.
On the other hand, as he stressed, this sector promotes rural sustainability by maintaining agricultural activities "in remote areas".
In the opening session of the meeting, which takes place in Fátima, Leiria district, Manuel Casimiro de Almeida recalled that the dairy industry is currently facing major challenges, noting that customer demands are increasingly high and that the treatment given to products in stores "often does not correspond to their value".
There is also competition from low value-added products, particularly cheeses from Northern Central Europe.
These products are sold "at artificially low prices", affecting the competitiveness of Portuguese dairy products.
Thus, he argued that, in order to compete, the national industry must invest in innovation and differentiation of its cheeses.
On the other hand, he denounced that the dairy sector faces "attempts to tarnish its image" through the promotion of alternative foods.
However, the president of ANIL said that the association has nothing against "these supposed alternatives", but said that it cannot accept that they are promoted on the basis of misinformation.
"It is therefore essential to combat misinformation and promote the scientific truth about the benefits of dairy products, combating appropriation attempts, where non-dairy products try to benefit from their association with the nutritional and cultural values of dairy products," he noted.
The national dairy meeting (EnLácteos), promoted by ANIL, will address topics such as the geopolitical context, consumer purchasing behavior and ESG criteria -- Environment, Social and Corporate Governance -- as a factor of competitiveness.
The closing session will be led by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, João Moura.
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