Kenya to benefit from new agricultural-milk technologies

KENYA – Kenya has been highlighted as one of five countries selected to benefit from new agricultural milk-producing technologies, as revealed in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeepers report. 

Alongside India, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, Kenya is expected to see a significant boost in milk production—up to threefold—through adopting these technologies, which could prevent over 109 million cases of child stunting by 2050.

The report, titled A Race to Nourish a Warming World, emphasized the devastating effects of malnutrition, particularly stunting and wasting, which are most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Stunting, where children fail to achieve their full mental or physical potential, and wasting, where children become severely underweight, pose significant threats to children’s development and survival. 

The report warned that without immediate global action, climate change could worsen the malnutrition crisis, with 40 million more children projected to suffer from stunting and 28 million more from wasting between 2024 and 2050.

New agricultural technologies, particularly in the dairy sector, are seen as critical in addressing these challenges, particularly in regions hardest hit by hunger and poverty. 

Kenya’s inclusion in the programme is part of a larger effort to scale up milk production, which is vital for improving childhood nutrition in the country.

Meanwhile, the programme’s impact has already been felt on the ground. 

Coletta Kemboi, a dairy farmer from Maili Nne, Kenya, shared her experience with MoreMilk, a training initiative that helped improve the quality of milk on her farm. 

Through this training, she enhanced her production standards, which in turn increased her income, allowing her to pay school fees for her three children.

Bill Gates, speaking in the report, pointed out that climate change exacerbates global challenges like drought and hunger. 

He stressed that tackling malnutrition is key to solving many of the world’s problems, such as extreme poverty and the efficacy of vaccines. 

He added that addressing malnutrition could make deadly diseases like malaria and pneumonia less fatal.

The report further highlights that in 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that 148 million children globally experienced stunting, while 45 million children were affected by wasting. 

The innovations in dairy farming and other agricultural sectors are part of the Gates Foundation’s efforts to combat these alarming statistics and support the most vulnerable populations.

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