Transforming Kenya’s dairy industry through sustainable consumption and production practices

Dairy in Kenya is facing several challenges, which are hampering the agricultural sector’s growth and affecting the lives of 40% of the population, according to a recent report by USAID. To address the challenges and fulfil Kenya’s 2030 visions for the sector, integrating sustainable consumption and production practices along the value chain could decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, promote more efficient utilization of resources, and foster sustainable lifestyles. This is in line with Sustainable Development Goal 12 as part of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda.

Among the authors’ key messages are the following:

• The dairy sub-sector’s growth and development in Kenya is hindered by low productivity; informal trading and marketing systems; limited skills and knowledge; and poor service delivery. Moreover, the sub-sector is a significant emitter of the greenhouse gases methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon monoxide.
• Sustainable consumption and production in the dairy sector would involve everything from the production of nutritious feeds and artificial breeding to the creation and marketing of value-added products. It is also necessary to consider farmyard manure as a byproduct and renewable energy as an input.
• The Kenyan government needs to reduce the increasing complexity of sustainable consumption by standardizing livestock production and supports on imports, exports and prices. At the local level, the government support should be tailor-made to suit its own jurisdiction. This can be done by working with the private sector, civil society groups, farmers, NGOs and other stakeholders.