Women of Oubritenga’s milky way

In an arid province of Burkina Faso, 150 women cattle and goat breeders are playing a crucial role in securing the food sovereignty of 6 villages by adopting resilient pastoral practices and establishing a local dairy value chain. They utilize manure to enrich the soil and grow local forage crops to better feed their livestock. The dairy factory built for processing and selling milk products increased their income and provides healthy nutritious food for 1,500 inhabitants, reducing their dependence on carbon-intensive imports. A gender analysis in the communities has helped women initiate a dialogue on ownership and control of the production means with customary chiefs.