Dairy Value Chain Forum launched to advance green farming
The first annual Dairy Value Chain Forum was launched on 9 July at the InterContinental Dhaka, marking a key step towards advancing green transformation in Bangladesh's dairy sector.
The forum is a flagship initiative under the Green Dairy Partnership in Bangladesh, a five-year project funded by the Danida Green Business Partnership (DGBP) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The initiative aims to increase the resilience of dairy farming households and develop a sustainable, commercially viable, and private sector-led green dairy value chain.
Dr Md Abu Sufiun, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services, attended as chief guest. Anders B Karlsen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh, and Dr Shakila Faruque, Director General of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, attended as special guests. Representatives from government bodies, academia, development partners, and the private sector were also present.
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The Green Dairy Partnership targets a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions while increasing incomes for 10,000 farmer households—80% of whom are women—with plans to scale up to 50,000 households. The initiative brings together a consortium including Solidaridad Network Asia, Arla Foods, PRAN Dairy, SEGES Innovation, IDRN-Bangladesh Agricultural University, and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.
The Dairy Value Chain Forum will serve as a collaborative platform to foster responsible business practices, drive adoption of climate-smart technologies, and promote sustainable and commercially viable dairy practices. The forum aims to address systemic challenges, increase productivity and investment, and contribute to national nutrition goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The launch event included presentations on project progress, baseline findings related to emissions and farming practices, and an introduction to Arla's "Big Five" sustainability model—focusing on feed efficiency, feed balance, animal robustness, manure management, and efficient land use.
Looking ahead, the forum will operate through a structured governance model with a steering committee and will regularly convene community, district, national, and international platforms. Key future activities include capacity building, knowledge exchange, and the development of a white paper to guide policy and investment.
