Kenya set to benefit from six-year DaIMA program

KENYA – Kenya will be among the beneficiaries of the first large-scale climate investment targeting low-emission, climate-resilient dairy systems in East Africa.

Led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), DaIMA is backed by USD 150 million in co-financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), bringing the total investment to USD 358 million.

The project that was presented at the just concluded 9th International Greenhouse Gas and Animal Agriculture (GGAA) conference in Nairobi will directly benefit 2.5 million rural people in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda and indirectly reach an additional 15.4 million individuals along the dairy value chain.

The six-year programme dubbed ‘Dairy Interventions for Mitigation and Adaptation’ (DaIMA) aims to enhance climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthen the dairy value chain through policy reform, capacity building, technology adoption, and green finance.

Sara Mbago, Regional Director, East and Southern Africa, IFAD, said that DaIMA is about transforming the backbone of East Africa’s dairy sector.

By combining innovation, investment, and policy reform, they are helping farmers adapt to a changing climate while reducing emissions and creating growth opportunities.

The programme is expected to boost milk production by 34 percent and reduce emissions by 2.1 million tons of CO₂ equivalent over 20 years.

Its holistic approach will further strengthen veterinary and extension services, enhance breeding and feed systems, restoring degraded lands, and also expanding access to climate information.

“A dedicated Green Dairy Financing Facility will unlock climate finance for farmers, cooperatives, and small and medium-sized enterprises, accelerating the shift to low-emission value chains,” Mbago added.

DaIMA preparation brings together a powerful coalition of partners, including IFAD, GCF, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the FAO Investment Centre, the Global Methane Hub, the Global Dairy Platform, and USAID Food and Agriculture.

It places strong emphasis on inclusion, ensuring women, youth, and marginalised communities are at the centre of climate action and benefit equitably from the transformation.

As climate pressures intensify, DaIMA stands as a blueprint for sustainable agricultural transformation, linking innovation, finance, and policy to build a low-emission, climate-smart dairy economy across East Africa.

ILRI will provide technical assistance to the four countries on monitoring, reporting, and verification of GHG emissions as a regional center of excellence in this area with its Mazingira centre.

“The DaIMA programme represents a major milestone for the dairy sector. By scaling up low-emission, climate-resilient solutions, DaIMA directly supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement, accelerating the sustainable transformation of the dairy sector in the region,” said Appolinaire Djikeng, the Director General of ILRI.

The dairy sector is central to food security and livelihoods in East Africa but faces mounting pressure from climate change, including heat stress and drought.

East African dairy systems can boost productivity and resilience while reducing emissions by equipping smallholder farmers with climate-smart resources.

These include access to climate information, improved breeding and veterinary services, enhanced reproduction and feed management, and innovative technologies that support sustainable growth.

The program is already operational through four IFAD projects aligned with national priorities in the target countries.

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