The livelihood ’quandairy’ of milk producers in a disrupted market

Research team from the University of Göttingen explores what guides Cameroonian milk producers' decision-making after a market disruption   When agricultural markets in the Global South are disrupted, what helps producers stay in business? In regions where work can be hard to find, educational attainment is low, and opportunities for economic diversification are often too few, it is essential to understand what helps smallholder producers maintain their livelihoods. An international team of researchers from the University of Göttingen investigated the factors that helped milk producers maintain their livelihoods one year after a supply chain disruption in Cameroon. Their results recommend, amongst others, more dairy-focused training and farm diversification. The research was published in World Development. The researchers carried out fieldwork in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of Bamenda, the capital city of the Northwest region of Cameroon. The sampling consisted of 320 household interviews with active and inactive milk producers. Based on the results, three main recommendations for future dairy initiatives were made: extend dairy transformation training within strong cooperatives, increase diversification of both crops and livestock on farms, and support the agribusiness potential of younger milk producers in non-urban settings.