Bangladesh marked a major milestone in its pursuit of a sustainable and climate-resilient dairy industry today with the official launch of the first annual Dairy Value Chain Forum at the InterContinental Dhaka.
The forum is a flagship initiative of the Green Dairy Partnership in Bangladesh, a five-year project supported by the Danida Green Business Partnership (DGBP) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
The project aims to increase the resilience of dairy farming households and develop a sustainable, private sector-led green dairy value chain in the country.
The launch event was graced by Dr. Md. Abu Sufiun, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services, as the 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, alongside representatives from government agencies, academia, development partners, and private sector organizations.
The Green Dairy Partnership targets a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and aims to boost incomes for 10,000 smallholder dairy farmers, 80 percent of whom are women. The project is designed to scale up to 50,000 households in Southwest Bangladesh and is implemented by a multi-stakeholder consortium comprising Solidaridad Network Asia, Arla Foods, PRAN Dairy, SEGES Innovation, IDRN-Bangladesh Agricultural University, and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.
The newly launched Dairy Value Chain Forum will serve as a collaborative platform to foster responsible business practices and promote climate-smart technologies. By facilitating multi-stakeholder engagement, the forum seeks to overcome structural challenges, increase productivity, attract investment, and unlock the sector’s potential to meet national nutrition needs and advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The launch event featured presentations on project progress, baseline data on emissions and farming practices, and the introduction of Arla Foods’ “Big Five” sustainability model—focusing on feed efficiency, feed balance, animal robustness, manure management, and efficient land use.
Looking ahead, the forum will function under a structured governance model with a steering committee and host regular forums at community, district, national, and international levels. Key activities will include capacity building, knowledge exchange, and the development of a white paper to inform policy and guide investment decisions for a greener and more resilient dairy sector.