ABSTRACT
Organic dairy farming in developing countries Gidi Smolders, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; Mette Vaarst, Aarhus University, Denmark
1 Introduction
2 Characteristics of milk from different species
3 Organic dairy production
4 Dairy production systems in Africa
5 Conclusion and future trends
6 Where to look for further information
7 References
In African countries, organic farming was practised on almost 1.3 million ha or about 0.1% of the total agricultural area of the continent in 2016. The number of certified organic farmers is about 600 000 who mainly focus on arable and permanent crops (for export). Only 6% of the organic area is permanent grassland and fodder crops (Lernoud et al., 2016). According to Altieri (2012) two forms of organic production exist in the global south: certified organic production, mainly focusing on export, and non-certified organic production, primarily focusing on food self-sufficiency. Besides certified organic land, there is an area for so-called ‘wild collection’ on about 12 million ha where no pesticides or any other chemicals are used and which is farmed and exploited by about 13 million farmers. Data show that there are many organic farmers with small acreage and with no particular focus on dairy production (Willer and Lernoud, 2016; Odong, 2014, Kiggundu et al, 2014; Nalubwama et al, 2011). Chander et al. (2011) stated that only negligible development in organic dairy farming occurred in tropical countries. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, the consumption of milk and milk products has increased over the past decade (Buerkert and Schlecht, 2012). Developing countries often import dairy products to meet increasing demand for organic milk and other products, especially in urban areas. Some governments in the global south support (organic) dairy farming because it promotes health by providing a variety of diets, and it adds to the household income. Different countries have special governmental or NGO programmes to increase the number of dairy animals aimed at improving diets and alleviating poverty (FAO, 2016b; Mwebaze and Kjaer, 2013; EADD, 2014; SDP, 1997; Srairi et al., 2013; Ndambi, 2008; RDCPII, 2015;
Lipita et al., 2015). Staal et al. (2008) advise policy-makers and development investors to resist the assumption that the role of smallholders is ending and that efforts should now be made to support larger scale, ‘more efficient’ milk production to meet growing consumer demand. Instead, that growing demand should be used as a mechanism to help continue and sustain smallholder dairy enterprises. Contrary to promotion of dairy farming in developing countries is the growing import of skimmed milk powder from the EU which risks undermining the development of the local dairy industry (Goodison, 2015). Goodison (2015) proposes the creation of a right ‘not to be harmed by the imposition of trade rules’, which is particularly important in developing countries that seek to promote the development of local milk-to-dairy supply chains as part of their broader agriculture and rural development policies.
