22 September 2014. New York. Nestlé and Global Good, a collaboration between Bill Gates and Intellectual Ventures, have announced Clinton Global Initiative Commitments to Action as part of a two-year partnership to improve the productivity and lives of smallholder dairy farmers in East Africa.
The two-fold commitments focus on evaluating and devising ways to increase agricultural productivity of smallholder dairy farmers through technology innovation and on expanding the use of a specially designed milk container, known as 'Mazzi', by smallholders to maximize the quality and quantity of milk they sell.
The commitments were announced in New York at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2014 Annual Meeting. Established by President Bill Clinton, CGI, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
" We are very pleased to have this opportunity to work with Global Good. It is another important step in deepening Nestlé's dairy work in East Africa to help smallholders increase milk production and their incomes" Hans Joehr, Nestlé's Head of Agriculture
"But unlike the efficient processing and supply chains common in many developed countries, when these rural farmers collect and transport their cows' milk from the farm to local collection centers or chilling stations, all too often the milk is spilled or spoiled, at a significant loss for the farmer," said Maurizio Vecchione, Senior Vice President of Global Good and Research at Intellectual Ventures.
Global Good seeks to invent and deploy commercially viable technology that improves lives in developing countries. Mazzi was developed by Global Good, in conjunction with field testing partners in Heifer International's East Africa Dairy Development program, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kenya Dairy Board, and SNV Ethiopia and Ashut Engineers Limited in Kenya.
- As part of the current commitments, Nestlé and Global Good will undertake field evaluation work to identify deficiencies and bottlenecks in the rural dairy value chain for smallholder farmers.
- This field work is expected to take place in Uganda or Kenya, where smallholders account for most of the dairy farming. A decision is expected in coming weeks about where exactly the work will take place.
- The field evaluation work is set to start in November and aims to identify areas where technical innovation can be applied to improve the efficiency, quality, health, nutrition and sustainability of smallholder dairy farming.
Specially designed by smallholders to maximize the quality and quantity of milk they sell
- Nestlé’s second commitment is to purchase at least 3,000 Mazzi containers to help simplify the milk collection and transport process and reduce milk spoilage and spillage for farmers.
- Derived from “maziwa,” the Kiswahili word for milk, Mazzi is a durable food-grade plastic container designed with a wide mouth that better enables farmers to milk using both hands. Mazzi’s detachable black funnel helps to identify signs of a cow’s mastitis (udder infection). Its secure and durable lid prevents spills and allows for easy transportation by hand, bicycle or draft animal from the farm to local collection centers or chilling stations.
- Once emptied, Mazzi’s fully-accessible and smooth interior surface also makes it much easier to clean, and with much less water than required than the milk collection buckets and repurposed jerry cans so widely used by farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Related:
21-24 September 2014. New York, NY. Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
Side event: How can smallholder farmers and fishers increase their economic opportunities?
Over 80 percent of the food consumed in the developing world comes from 500 million smallholder farmers and 60 percent of the global fish catch is hauled by smallholder fishers. However, while smallholder farmers and fishers play a major role in feeding the world, they sometimes struggle to feed their own families and communities. Lack of tools, resources and opportunities prohibits smallholder farmers and fishers from scaling their production and increasing their income. In this session, CGI members will reimagine how to:
MODERATOR:Jocelyn Wyatt, Co-Lead and Executive Director, IDEO.org
PARTICIPANTS:María José González, Executive Director, Mesoamerican Reef Fund
Howard-Yana Shapiro, Chief Agricultural Officer, Mars, Incorporated; Senior Fellow, Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis; Distinguished Fellow, World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Mars, Incorporated.
Side event: How can smallholder farmers and fishers increase their economic opportunities?
Over 80 percent of the food consumed in the developing world comes from 500 million smallholder farmers and 60 percent of the global fish catch is hauled by smallholder fishers. However, while smallholder farmers and fishers play a major role in feeding the world, they sometimes struggle to feed their own families and communities. Lack of tools, resources and opportunities prohibits smallholder farmers and fishers from scaling their production and increasing their income. In this session, CGI members will reimagine how to:
- support farmers and fishers in scaling their production while protecting forests and oceans
- increase access to financing opportunities, technical assistance, and business skills to achieve higher market value for smallholders’ yields
- invest in women, who are the majority in the agricultural and fishery labor force, to close the gender-based gap and improve livelihoods
MODERATOR:Jocelyn Wyatt, Co-Lead and Executive Director, IDEO.org
PARTICIPANTS:María José González, Executive Director, Mesoamerican Reef Fund
Howard-Yana Shapiro, Chief Agricultural Officer, Mars, Incorporated; Senior Fellow, Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis; Distinguished Fellow, World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Mars, Incorporated.
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