Bangladesh launches Green Dairy Value Chain Forum to transform farming sustainability

BANGLADESH – Bangladesh has launched the Green Dairy Value Chain Forum, marking a significant milestone move in the country’s journey toward green transformation of the dairy industry.

The forum is a flagship initiative under the Green Dairy Partnership in Bangladesh – a five-year project funded by Danida Green Business Partnership (DGBP) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark to increase resiliency of the dairy farming households, and to develop sustainable and viable private sector led green dairy value chain.

The Green Dairy Partnership aims to create a green, inclusive, and commercially viable dairy value chain in Southwest Bangladesh.

With a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent and increase income for 10,000 farmer households, 80 per cent of whom are women, the project is designed to scale up to 50,000 households.

It brings together a consortium of partners including Solidaridad Network Asia, Arla Foods, PRAN Dairy, SEGES Innovation, IDRN-Bangladesh Agricultural University, and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.

Md Abu Sufiun, director general of the Department of Livestock Services, said, “Bringing together all the key stakeholders and launching of the Dairy Value Chain Forum today is a timely initiative. It signifies our collective commitment to build a more efficient, inclusive and sustainable dairy sector of Bangladesh. The Dairy sector is not about producing milk only.”

The Dairy Value Chain Forum serves as a collaborative platform. It will initiate multi-stakeholders’ collaboration for responsible business conduct and the adoption of climate-smart technologies to make the dairy business commercially viable and environmentally sustainable.

It will address systemic challenges to increase productivity and investment to realize the sector’s potential for profitable dairy business at scale that shall meet national nutrition demand and contribute to sustainable development goals.

The inaugural event featured presentations on project progress, baseline findings on emissions and farming practices, and the introduction of the “Arla Big Five” sustainability model, which focuses on feed efficiency, feed balance, animal robustness, manure handling, and efficient land use.

Looking ahead, the forum will operate through a structured governance model with a steering committee, and will convene community, district, national, and international forums on a regular basis.

Key activities will include capacity building, knowledge exchange, and the development of a white paper to inform policy and investment decisions.

Subscribe to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa, the Middle East and around the world. SUBSCRIBE HERE