Cirad and MRUs “Selmet” and “Innovation”

Cirad is a French agricultural research and international cooperation organization working on the sustainable development of tropical regions. Cirad works with a network of partners on three continents. Approximately 100 of its 800 staff researchers are deployed in Africa to work on partnership research platforms.

UMR Selmet et UMR Innovation: Two Cirad’s mix research units “Selmet” and “Innovation” are involved in Africa-milk. “Selmet” is specialized in tropical and Mediterranean livestock systems with focus on animal and fodder resources, farming and feeding systems, livestock value chains and development policies in an integrative approach. The expertise of “Innovation” focuses on understanding innovation processes, and methods to support innovators, particularly in smallholder farms and local value chains. These two research units have a longstanding experience in livestock science, dairy systems, dairy sector, providing technical assistance to a number of development projects and private sector parties in West Africa (Burkina-Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal), East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya), North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria) and Madagascar.

Some ongoing or recent projects on milk in Africa involving Cirad: Cirad has been involved in the coordination of several research projects and studies in the last 5 years, including:

  • “Milky Way” - The Milky way to Development, giving a voice to small scale milk producers in a liberalized market in West Africa (2014-2016)
  • “Feed the cows” : Designing new solutions for sustainable milk production in Morocco, Algeria and Egypt, in collaboration with Danone (2016-2017)
  • CASEF - Support to commercial agriculture sectors in Madagascar (including milk value chain) (2018-)
  • REGAL- Reducing milk losses in supply chains in West Africa (2016-2017)
  • STRADIV- Establishing high-density bushes banks for dairy cows feeding in Burkina Faso (2016-2019
  • DAIRY : Understanding traditional milk provision system around Cairo (2012-2015)
  • Rapid assessment of Milk value chains development strategies in West Africa: Various studies for UEMOA (2013), Laiterie du Berger (2016-2017), AFDI (2018), Oxfam (2018), SOS-Faim (2018), CEDEAO (2018)…
  • Publication of 3 Atlases on milk value chains in Egypt, Senegal, Vietnam

Cirad brings to Africa-Milk the following expertise:

  • Methodological expertise to study livestock farming systems, dairy value chain, mapping of milkshed, and to support innovation (participative approaches) (Task 1);
  • Modelling milk shed and collection systems, supporting organisational innovation process (Task 2);
  • Modelling farming systems, feed rationing tools for dairy cows, on farm experimentations supporting technical innovation process (Task 3);
  • Monitoring and evaluation of impacts and learning (Task 4).