Boosting milk processing in Burkina Faso for higher-quality local foods

Challenge

Each year, Burkina Faso imports the equivalent of 40 million litres of milk in powdered form. While this powder partially addresses the seasonal shortages of fresh milk, a portion of this supply is of substandard quality, comprising skimmed milk with added palm oil.

Despite its considerable dairy potential, especially in the Ouagadougou region, Burkina Faso struggles to modernise its dairy sector and faces a multitude of challenges: limited access to financing and modern production technologies, inadequate agricultural and business practices, stiff competition from imported powdered milk, and ongoing political instability. This lack of development not only perpetuates poverty among agro-pastoral communities but also worsens the issue of malnutrition in the region.

Innovative solution

For the past decade, Fairkoperativ and Faircoop have fostered close relationships with UMPL/B and its network of mini-dairies, leveraging their expertise to develop a sustainable dairy sector in Burkina Faso. Due to the prevailing security challenges, the Kossam Yadega dairy was relocated to the Ouagadougou region, where significant potential for the production and marketing of high-quality local products has been identified. Together, the partners are working to develop a modern dairy production unit that utilises local milk. This facility not only offers a reliable market for farmers, ensuring they receive more stable and significant incomes, but it also allows the Burkinabè population to access better-quality local dairy products. Additionally, complementary actions are being undertaken to promote sustainable agricultural practices, focusing on soil preservation and health. These initiatives are vital for enhancing the overall sustainability of the dairy sector and improving food security in the region.

Impact

• Increase and stabilisation of incomes for over 250 farmers by 2027
• Adoption of sustainable agricultural techniques for over 250 farmers by 2027 (forage production)
• Market introduction of over 430,000 litres of higher-quality dairy products within three years.