Case study 1: SDP and dairy policy influencing in Kenya

This case study has looked at changes in dairy policy in Kenya, and more specifically policies on 'informal' milk marketing. The focus was on the activities and experiences of a 7-year research and development project called the Smallholder Dairy Project (SDP). This project was collaboratively implemented by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development (MoLFD), the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). SDP ran between 1997 and 2005, and was very active in trying to support policy changes in line with the implications of its wide-ranging and comprehensive research.

However this is a controversial area, with issues of livelihoods, employment and access to nutrition clashing with concerns over public health and compliance with standards and codes of practice. Some interesting lessons have emerged from this case study of the collaborative efforts to use the available evidence to support rational policy change in this controversial area.