Atlas of the traditional milk sector around greater Cairo in Egypt

Egypt's milk sector is still largely traditional with a majority of the population consuming unpasteurized milk. This traditional sector represented nearly 80% of Egyptian milk consumers in 2011. The DAIRY project entitled “Understanding the traditional Milk Supply chain functioning in El Cairo City, Egypt” aimed at understanding the functioning of these small dairy units and milk intermediaries and the key-factors of their viability. The approach was based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods (narrative approach, interviews, surveys, factorial analyses, cartography of value chain, literature) at the farm and value chain levels. This Atlas highlights a great potential for the milk sector in Egypt in link with the traditional mixed crop-livestock systems in rural areas, the long tradition and culture of milk processing and cheese consumption, and the high and increasing demand due to demographic growth and urbanization. However, the dairy sector copes with important challenges: the increasing consumption of industrial products, sanitary control, farm viability in link with feed price, etc., that require specific support. (Resume d'auteur)