Milk is taking on ever-greater importance in the livelihoods and health of the world’s poor. Most of the dairy markets that serve the poor are supplied by small-scale vendors who collect milk from farmers who own just a few dairy animals. But such systems of “people’s milk” are in direct competition with the ambitions of big dairy companies, such as Nestlé, and a growing number of other wealthy players that want to take over the entire dairy chain in the South, from the farms to the markets. A battle over dairy is under way that will profoundly shape the direction of the global food system and people’s lives.
Read more on this topic in a new report ‘The great milk robbery: How corporations are stealing livelihoods and a vital source of nutrition from the poor’ from GRAIN – an international non-profit organisation that supports small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems The report is available on the ARC website here.