Cak Presents Airtea Project Brief At Mburugu Dairy Farmers Co-operative Society

By Admin

Embu County, 2nd June 2022

The Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) presented a comprehensive project brief on the AIRTEA Project – Leveraging the Benefits of Multi-Stakeholders Partnership to Support Rural Women and Youths in the Dairy Sector in Kenya at Mburugu Dairy Farmers Co-operative Society (FCS) on 2nd June 2022. The briefing brought together cooperative leaders, dairy farmers, and local stakeholders to provide insight into the project objectives, expected outcomes, and opportunities for women and youth in the dairy value chain.

Introducing the AIRTEA Project

The project brief aimed to inform cooperative members about how the AIRTEA project supports rural women and youth to increase incomes, improve livelihoods, and strengthen food and nutrition security. The CAK team highlighted that the project is implemented in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, coordinated by FARA in partnership with ASARECA and EAFF, with funding from the European Union through the OACPS programme.

Project Objectives and Goals

During the briefing, the CAK team shared the overall objective of the project: achieving sustainable agrarian livelihoods and rural transformation through inclusive research and innovation. Specific objectives discussed with cooperative members included:

  • Increasing the involvement of women and youth in multi-stakeholder innovation platforms
  • Promoting the adoption of technologies, knowledge, and innovations by stakeholders in Agricultural Business Learning Alliance (ABLA) platforms
  • Enhancing profitability and employment opportunities along the dairy value chain

Opportunities for Cooperative Members

Members of Mburugu Dairy FCS were informed about interventions aimed at improving milk productivity and quality, strengthening cooperative governance, and increasing access to markets and financial services. The briefing highlighted the critical role of cooperatives as platforms for mobilising farmers, aggregating milk, delivering economic services, and creating sustainable networks.

The CAK team also emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships, including research institutions, government agencies, private sector actors, and financial service providers, in achieving project objectives.

Expected Impact

The project is expected to result in:

  • Increased milk productivity among participating farmers
  • Improved incomes for women and youth dairy farmers
  • Strengthened performance and governance of cooperatives
  • Adoption of sustainable and inclusive practices along the dairy value chain

Engagement and Next Steps

The briefing concluded with a question-and-answer session where cooperative members shared experiences and explored ways to actively engage with the AIRTEA project. Participants expressed optimism about the potential of the project to address challenges in milk production, market access, and capacity building for women and youth.

The CAK team reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with Mburugu Dairy FCS and other partner cooperatives to ensure effective implementation of the AIRTEA project in Kenya.