Jon Thornes, one of our Farming Champions, joined forces with Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner on 25 September to celebrate World School Milk Day. The global event highlights the importance of milk in children's nutrition, and this year, Jon and Daniel raised a glass—quite literally—to mark the occasion.

Jon and Daniel met earlier this week at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool to discuss ways to strengthen the resilience of dairy farmers and processors. Central to their conversation was the expansion of the school milk scheme to ensure that every child in England's reception year benefits from this vital nutritional support—not just up to their fifth birthday.

Jon’s involvement in World School Milk Day traces back over three decades, to when he helped propose the idea of an international day to raise awareness of school milk’s benefits. Since the first celebration in 2000, the event has shone a light on how dairy farming contributes to both child nutrition and the local economy.