Speakers

President National SASDT

Title of talk: 

- Welcome, introductions and SASDT matters.
- Introducing the International Dairy Federation, championing the utmost in scientific expertise for the benefit of the dairy industry.

BIO:

Christine Leighton is the project manager of the Consumer Education Project Milk SA, which focuses on educating consumers and health professionals on the health and nutritional benefits of dairy.

Christine Leighton holds a BSc Food Science and Nutrition (Ed) and a MSc Consumer Science from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She was a researcher in the field of consumer science and sensory evaluation and has written numerous articles and reports on sensory and consumer insights of food products. Christine is involved in neuro marketing at the Bureau of Market Research of UNISA and assists in various biometric measures for consumer research. During her career she has worked in the field of food hygiene management and food safety and is qualified in applying HACCP and SANS 2200 at food factory level.

She is currently the president of the South African Society of Dairy Technology and the member of the International Milk Promotions group of the International Dairy Federation (IDF). She is an active member of the IDF Standing Committee on Marketing. Her hobbies include active mountain biking, good food and wine tasting.

Vice-president National SASDT

BIO:

Currently Head of Dairy Development and Commercial, Crown Food Group.

Spent more than a decade in retail (Woolworths) being involved in Dairy industry from farm to consumer.

Completed both an Honours and Masters in Technology through the University of Pretoria.

Conducted Product Development for the national (Clover) and multinational (Danone) groups.

Qualified as Food Scientist and Technologist through University of Pretoria.

Husband and father to 3 children.

Involved in school, church, community, regional and national volunteer organisations including being a SANPARKS Honorary Ranger

Active tennis player and road runner.

Massay University, NZ

Title of talk: The Delta Model: Dairy’s role in sustainable nutrition

BIO: 

Dr Nick Smith is a Research Officer at the Riddet Institute, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence hosted by Massey University, where he works as part of the Sustainable Nutrition Initiative®, a program providing evidence for the sustainable food system debate and ensuring that human nutrition is seen as a key aspect of sustainability. Nick holds degrees in mathematics from Swansea University (UK) and in nutritional science from Massey University (NZ). His expertise is in mathematical modelling of complex systems, with a particular focus on human nutrition. His former research interest was in predictive models for dynamics in the human intestinal microbiome, and the influence on host health and wellbeing. He now studies the dynamics of global and national food systems and their impact on the nutrition of the global population.

ABSTRACT:

Abstract (perhaps too short or informal – let me know, I just pulled it from a previous talk):

Nutrition is an essential part of sustainability, alongside environmental, social, and economic aspects. Nutrition is more than just calories and protein – we need to think about the supply of all essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, from the farm to the consumer. This is where nutrient-dense foods, such as dairy, have a strong role to play. So how well does the world currently feed itself? And what alternative scenarios exist for doing so in the future? What does a sustainable diet look like for consumers, and how does this vary around the world? What role does nutrient trade have in food security and nutrition? This talk will cover the research of the Sustainable Nutrition Initiative®, a New Zealand research group building models to understand how individuals and the global population can be fed into the future, with particular focus on the outcomes for dairy.

Professor, Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Johannesburg;  Nedbank Research and Innovation Chair

Title of talk: Using AI to Streamline Livestock  Management and Welfare in The Dairy Industry

BIO: 

Terence van Zyl is a Professor at the University of Johannesburg's Institute for Intelligent Systems, where he holds the Nedbank Research Chair. He is an NRF-rated scientist who received his PhD and MSc in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Johannesburg. He has over 17 years of experience as a data scientist working on large-scale analytics systems for government and industry.

Prof. van Zyl currently works in academia and has incubated several research and innovation initiatives over the last six years. His research interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning, data-driven science and engineering, prescriptive analytics, evolutionary optimization and complex adaptive systems. To this end, he has supervised over 28 PhD and MSc Postgraduates and published almost 90 peer-reviewed research articles related to AI, Machine Learning and Data Science.

CEO SAMPRO

Title of talk: World dairy situation, global and local

BIO:

Alwyn holds a BCom (Industrial Psychology, Economics and Business Economics); BCom Hon

(Economics and Business Economics); and MCom (Marketing and Management). He is currently the CEO of South African Milk Processors’ Organization (SAMPRO); Member of the Management Committee of SAMPRO; Chair of the board of directors of the Dairy Standard Agency, which is the most developed self-regulatory initiative in the South African agro-processing and food industries; Member of the board of directors and Executive Committee of Milk SA, which is the umbrella organization of the South African primary and secondary dairy industries, of which the members are the Milk Producers’ Organization (MPO) and SAMPRO; Member of the Standing Committee on Dairy Policy and Economics of the International Dairy Federation; Member of the South African National Committee of the International Dairy Federation and the Executive Committee of the National Committee and Member of the board of directors of the International Dairy

Internation Dairy Federation Standing Committee member
Standing Committee Nutrition and Health

BIO

Maretha Vermaak obtained her B Dietetic degree in 1986 from the University of Pretoria, where after she completed a post-graduate diploma in Hospital Dietetics. She started her career as Dietitian in 1988 as Hospital Dietitian and since June 1989 she worked as Private practicing Dietitian for 20 years.

During her career, she worked as a part-time lecturer at the University of Pretoria. She was a co-worker and developer of a Nutrition Screening tool for youths in SA, as well as a computer programme for diet planning and did various product development projects.

She also consults to the foodservice industry and from time to time conducts hygiene and safety evaluations of foodservices in various African countries. In 2008 she joined the Consumer Education Project of Milk as dietitian. As part of her work at the Project, she communicates the health and nutritional benefits of dairy to consumers and opinion leaders. This includes a range of activities including various training initiatives among selected target audiences. Nutrition communication messages are tailored to fit each target audience such as dietitians and nutritionists, dietetic students, community health workers, and the lay public. Maretha was also co-author of the scientific paper of the SA Food-based Dietary Guideline “Have milk, maas and yoghurt every day” that was published in 2013

Maretha is an active member of the Association of Dietetics in South Africa and of the International Dairy Federation (IDF). She represents South Africa on the IDF Standing Committee on Nutrition and Health and acts as Action Team leader of the IDF School Milk Programmes.

About the CS

The Standing Committee on Nutrition and Health (SCNH) within the International Dairy Federation (IDF) operates as a pivotal entity dedicated to advancing human nutrition within the framework of dairy consumption. Its primary objectives encompass collaboration with the dairy sector to foster the dissemination of significant scientific findings, contribute to the scientific community, and identify avenues with potential added value. Key functions of the SCNH include comprehensive consideration of all facets of human nutrition and health, with a particular focus on current knowledge and emerging discoveries in nutritional science that may influence milk and milk product consumption. Additionally, the committee is tasked with reporting on high-quality research concerning the role of milk and milk products in the diet, facilitating the distribution of up-to-date information, and providing scientifically sound insights on nutrition and health to advocate for the role of dairy in sustainable food systems

Internation Dairy Federation Standing Committee member

Fair Cape Dairies / Milk SA

BIO:

Colin has been working in the dairy industry for ten years and serves as Environmental Officer for Fair Cape Dairies, dealing with sustainability and environmental impact minimization. He obtained a PhD in biotechnology from the University of the Western Cape having spent numerous years researching the application of microbial enzymes for biomass conversion. This sparked his keen interest in waste beneficiation, renewable energy, and the principles of circular economy. Colin also works as a Project Manager on environmental sustainability with the Dairy Research and Development Programme of Milk South Africa and further represents the South African Dairy Industry on the Standing Committee for the Environment of the International Dairy Federation, of which he is currently the deputy chairman

About the SC

The presentation will focus on the IDF Standing Committee for Environment, detailing some of the current work items while reflecting on a few valuable contributions to the dairy sector over the past few years. There is an intricate connection between ‘Dairy’ and the ‘Environment’ and this Standing Committee focusses on advancing knowledge around key impact areas which contribute towards preserving this connection.

Internation Dairy Federation Standing Committees
Sub-Committee for Animal Health and Welfare – South African representative

BIO

Qualified as veterinarian at Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty, University of Pretoria in 1986. Spent 27 years in practice in South Africa and the UK. Joined Deltamune laboratory as Veterinary Technical Advisor in 2013 and moved to the Dairy Standard Agency as dairy parlour auditor in 2016. Since Oct 2022 has been acting as advisory veterinarian for Milk SA and appointed as Manager – Animal Health & Welfare Program of the Dairy Research and Development Committee. I represent Milk SA at the Livestock Welfare Coordinating Committee, the National Animal Health Forum, the South African Veterinary Association and have been nominated by Milk SA to be appointed to the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance as well as the Brucellosis Steering Committee. I am also editor of the Livestock Health and Production Review magazine.

About the SC

Animal welfare is moving to the forefront more and more due to public demand for responsibly produced dairy. Dairy farmers ignore this trend at their peril. Likewise, animal health is the cornerstone of optimum production and safe milk of good quality. The talk will focus on our efforts in this regard and how South Africa compares with the rest of the world.

Internation Dairy Federation Standing Committee member
Standing Committee on Dairy Policies & Economics

BIO:

Ndumiso Mazibuko is a South African economist with impeccable skills and knowledge in the agricultural sector, and over 13 years of experience. Amongst his greatest achievements is the execution of the statutory levy system that has assisted the South African commercial agricultural sector in generating funding for research, consumer education, export promotions and markets, market access, transformation, and production development since the deregulation of the sector in 1997. He holds a Ph.D. and MSc in Agricultural Economics and a master’s degree in Business Administration. Before joining SAMPRO, he worked for the NAMC as a Senior Economist in the statutory measures division, leading the livestock portfolio. He was part of the team that led the formulation of the national infrastructure plan for agro-logistics and rural economies (SIP11), which formed part of the eighteen Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) administered by the Presidential Infrastructure Coordination Commission. He was the National Coordinator of SIP11. Furthermore, he was also part of the team, that formulated the agriculture and agro-processing masterplan. In 2020, he was named one of the 200 Mail & Guardian Young South Africans playing a critical role in the country, in the education space. Ndumiso has published journal articles and has presented at several National and International Conferences. He has also been an AFRICAP fellow at Chathamhouse in the UK and a fellow at the Africa Research Impact Network. Ndumiso is also part of the Agricultural Economics Association of South African Management Team.

Internation Dairy Federation Standing Committee member
Standing Committee Standards and Regulations

BIO:

Jompie Burger holds a degree in environmental health sciences and public administration. He is the Managing Director of the Dairy Standard Agency (DSA), serves on various industry technical committees including the SABS and standing committees of the International Dairy Federation.

He also serves as the project manager of the Milk SA regulations and Standards Project of Milk SA.

The DSA is an independent non-profit organisation which primary objective is to promote dairy quality (product composition), food safety and metrology compliance in the interest of the industry and the consumer.

General Manager: Agri-Expo

Breyton Milford is the General Manager at the Cape of Good Hope Agricultural Society, trading as Agri-Expo, the oldest Agricultural Society in South Africa. He worked his way up from Project Coordinator, Commodity Manager, and later Operations Manager, before taking up this role as most senior member of this Organisation.

With regards to the Dairy Industry, he heads up the annual South African Dairy Championships since 2012, growing this competition not only with record numbers, but also with partnerships, media and marketing value and retail involvement.

Breyton is a Trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC). He Chaired the National Agricultural Youth Society for more than 8 years and is currently Chairman of the Western Cape Agricultural Youth Society.

He has won numerous awards in the agricultural space, including the John Deere Award for the Best Agricultural Student in South Africa in 2007 and the Standard Bank Award for his contribution to the Agricultural Youth in 2018.

He stays outside Stellenbosch with his wife Sharnielle and their 3 children - Sharné, Breylinn and Tommy.

breyton@agriexpo.co.za

082 708 5939

Current Job Title : Dairy Culture Specialist and Chief Judge for the SA Dairy Championships

Company : Synercore (based in Klapmuts, Western Cape)

With his background in Microbiology, Graham has accumulated over 30 years of practical  experience working in the dairy industry primarily with manufacturers of fresh fermented products such as Maas and Yoghurt and with multiple cheese producers throughout South Africa. While his roots lie in artisanal production, he has also worked for large corporate companies including Parmalat/Lactalis at Simonsberg (as Speciality Cheese Production Manager), at Danisco (as an Application Specialist), and more recently at Sacco SRL in Milan, Italy (as an International Area Manager : Technical Sales - Dairy Cultures, where he was responsible for 17 countries globally including diverse countries such as Iran, Myanmar, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan).  

Graham has won numerous national and international cheese awards, has served as the Vice President of the Western Cape Branch of the SASDT, has served on the Advisory Panel for the SA Dairy Championships, has judged cheese internationally at Nantwich and ICDA in the UK, and he is the current Chief Judge of the SA Dairy Championships. While Graham worked at Sacco's Head Office in Italy, he was also responsible for the development of a new mesophilic heterofermentative culture for Maas production, specifically formulated for South African conditions.    

Graham is 53 years old, is married to Leana, and they have 2 teenage daughters, Megan and Jenna. He is a former provincial middle distance and cross country athlete, he has completed 2 Comrades Marathons, and his passions are fresh and saltwater flyfishing, mountain biking, trail running, and hiking. He is also a big Springbok rugby and Moto GP sports fan. 

In his current role at Synercore, Graham continues to manage the Sacco portfolio of dairy cultures and their applications in South, southern, and East Africa, providing technical support, culture innovation, and business sales support throughout the Synercore network.