Noreen Lanigan, Bord Bia, Paris Office

The third Open Agrifood, a two day sustainability forum, took place in Orleans, France last week, attracting over 1,000 visitors to over 60 different conferences and workshops.

One of the main speakers at the event was the founder of the Senegalese dairy  La Laiterie du Berger, the only producer of chilled dairy products made from local fresh milk in Senegal. The company was founded in 2007 by a Senegalese vet, who, having served his time in France, returned to Senegal to develop a commercial outlet for milk produced by some of the 4 million local nomad livestock farmers, with clear economic and societal objectives.

90% of all milk consumed in Senegal is imported milk powder, but there is a growing demand for chilled dairy products in the larger urban centres. In 2008 this sustainable initiative attracted investment from Danone’s sustainable fund, Danone Communities. Today La Laiterie du Berger has two productions sites, employs 100 people and delivers its branded yoghurt and cream, sold under the Dolima brand, to over 8,000 outlets across the country, despite the obvious chilled logistics challenges. From a CSR perspective they have succeeded in providing a stable income to over 800 nomad farmers, paying up to 37c per litre (!), however, improving milk yield and the seasonality of production remain long term challenges.

For further information on the Senegalese market, please contact claudia.saumell@bordbia.ie.