FAIR Farms Gambia

The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa, located in West Africa and surrounded by Senegal. Over a third of The Gambia’s population lives below the international poverty line and 25% of the children of The Gambia under the age of 5 are either severely or moderately stunted due to undernourishment. Food animals in The Gambia on average yield 30 times less than their counterparts in mor

e developed countries, and the majority of dairy products available in The Gambia are therefore imported from foreign producers and are too expensive for the most food insecure populations to access. The current practice of extensive livestock rearing in The Gambia comes at a high environmental cost due to inefficiencies in land use. The transition towards intensive livestock systems is an essential process that is prioritized by The Gambia as a means of creating wealth for Gambian communities, achieving food security, reducing import reliance, and reducing the ecological impact of agriculture. Gambia Goat Dairy (GGD) is the first commercial-scale goat milking operation in The Gambia. It is an evidence-based start-up initiative that aims to become a self-funded nonprofit entity 5 years after inception. GGD will employ a semi-intensive livestock system that combines modern agricultural strategies with equipment and practices tailored to the unique environment of West Africa to maximize the productivity of endemic goat breeds. GGD’s sales strategy targets multiple market segments to ensure that high quality protein products reach the populations that need them most. GGD will work closely with its local community through educational outreach to smallholder farmers, livestock lending programs, crop residue exchange agreements, and pasteurization cooperatives. GGD’s ultimate goal is the establishment of a model system for livestock development in West Africa that significantly improves the health of humans, animals, and the environment. GGD was conceived in 2016 with collaboration between Rotary, The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, The Bwiam General Hospital, Power Up Gambia (PUG), and The International Trypanotolerance Centre. An eight-week feasibility study was conducted in The Gambia during which all relevant stakeholding organizations were consulted to establish whether a commercial goat milking facility would succeed in The Gambia. A business plan was developed and revised by an advisory committee (key stakeholders) in the Gambia and in The United States. In early 2017, GGD prioritized publicity and grant procurement. A number of presentations were given at The University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, the Unite for Sight Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale University, and The Wharton School’s SiriusXM show Knowledge@Wharton. Funding for this project has come from The Rotary, Penn Global Internship Program, PennVet Food Animal Fellowships and the PennVet Student Inspiration Award. In the summer of 2017, a Gambian livestock expert was identified and hired as GGD’s Herd Manager. GGD also secured a 9.6-acre plot of land on which to begin construction of the dairy as soon as possible. GGD is excited to move forward in pursuit of achievable goals and efforts that are well-aligned with the ambitions of all project managers and stakeholding partners.