By Milliam Murigi
A six-year programme to build a climate-resilient and low-emission dairy sector is now underway across East Africa.
Dubbed Dairy Interventions for Mitigation and Adaptation (DaIMA) programme, led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the programme aims to promote sustainable dairy production while helping farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change.
With $150 million in co-financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the initiative represents a total investment of $358 million. It will be implemented in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, directly benefiting 2.5 million rural people and indirectly reaching 15.4 million more along the dairy value chain.
“DaIMA is about transforming the backbone of East Africa’s dairy sector,” said Sara Mbago, Regional Director, East and Southern Africa, IFAD. “By combining innovation, investment and policy reform, we are helping farmers adapt to a changing climate while reducing emissions and creating opportunities for growth.”
The project was presented at the recently concluded 9th International Greenhouse Gas and Animal Agriculture (GGAA) conference in Nairobi.
The dairy sector is central to food security and livelihoods in East Africa but faces mounting pressure from climate change, including heat stress and drought. The productivity and efficiency of East African Dairy systems can be strengthened which will reduce emissions and ensure more resilience of the production systems.
This will be done through equipping smallholder farmers with climate information, improved breeding and veterinary services, better reproduction and feed management and innovative technologies to enhance productivity while cutting emissions.
“The programme is already operational through four IFAD projects aligned with national priorities in the target countries. These programmes strengthen institutions and policy frameworks while introducing climate-responsive practices such as improved feed and fodder systems, manure management, and pasture restoration. It seeks to restore nearly 180,000 hectares of rangeland and support more than two million dairy cattle,” said Mbago.
The programme is expected to boost milk production by 34 per cent and reduce emissions by 2.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent over 20 years. Its holistic approach strengthens veterinary and extension services, enhances breeding and feeding systems, restores degraded lands, and expands access to climate information. A dedicated Green Dairy Financing Facility will unlock climate finance for farmers, cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises, accelerating the shift to low-e
It places strong emphasis on inclusion, ensuring women, youth and marginalized communities are at the centre of climate action and benefit equitably from the transformation.
ILRI will provide technical assistance to the four countries on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of GHG emissions, as a regional center of excellence in this area with its Mazingira center.
“DaIMA programme represents a major milestone for the dairy sector. By scaling up low-emission, climate-resilient solutions, DaIMA directly supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement, accelerating the sustainable transformation of the dairy sector in the region,” said Appolinaire Djikeng, the Director General of ILRI.
