Baladna, IFC partner to rebuild Syria’s dairy supply chains in US$250M integrated industrial project

SYRIA – Baladna Food Industries has entered an advisory agreement with the International Finance Corporation to support the recovery of Syria’s dairy sector, following Baladna’s board approval for a US$250 million integrated industrial project that includes a dairy plant, juice processing facility, plastic packaging unit, and advanced water treatment plant.

The advisory engagement is expected to be phased, beginning with analytical and field-based assessments and advancing toward practical supply-chain models suited to Syria’s current context. 

Syria remains one of the most food-insecure countries globally, with 9.1 million people food insecure, according to the World Food Programme. 

Years of conflict severely disrupted domestic food production and smallholder farming systems, with dairy particularly affected.

Rebuilding from the Farm Up

Marek Warzywoda, Group CEO of Baladna, explained that the work will look to see if a sustainable dairy sector can be rebuilt on a large scale by assessing demand, processing needs, and market conditions. 

He noted that by grounding potential future investments in practical realities on the ground, the company aims to help restore domestic dairy production in a way that supports nutrition, creates jobs, and delivers long-term value. 

Wagner Albuquerque, IFC Regional Industry Director, stated that this partnership is a great example of AgriConnect, building direct, practical links between smallholder farmers, market infrastructure, and private sector investment.

An Integrated Approach to Food Security

The US$250 million project is designed as an integrated industrial complex, bringing together production, processing, and the supporting systems that make food distribution possible.

When fully operational, the facility will process milk and juice, handle the containers needed to ship them, and treat water for both production and local community use. 

This approach reduces reliance on fragmented supply chains and limits exposure to border delays or import restrictions on essential inputs.

A Blueprint for Post-Conflict Recovery

For a market emerging from conflict, rebuilding a single dairy plant is not enough. The entire system, collection, processing, packaging, distribution, must be restored. 

Baladna’s investment in an integrated facility, including on-site production of containers, ensures that milk does not wait for bottles to arrive at the port. 

The project is not just about dairy; it is about proving that large-scale food production can return to Syria.

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