EMPOWERMENT

DANONE ECOSYSTEM FUND
MILK COMMUNITIES UKRAINE
To support the development of family farming and improve milk quality, the “Ukraine Milk Communities” project ensures the development of milk
cooperatives by renovating and upgrading existing farms to turn them into professional family farms and creating an economic network around
them to support their sustainable development.
This project is co-created Danone Ecosystem Fund, Danone Ukraine and its local partner Heifer Ukraine.
Ukraine
SOCIAL CONTEXT
SMALL HOLDERS
PRODUCE 78% OF MILK
Smallholders produce more
than 80% of Ukrainian milk,
but mainly for personal use.
FARMERS LACK EXPERTISE
This sector is made up of
subsistence farmers lacking
expertise.
DECLINING MILK PRODUCTION
EFFECTING INCOME
• Milk production is declining
for small holder farmers
• Income from milk is low.
78%
BUSINESS CONTEXT
DANONE WANTS TO
SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT
OF FAMILY DAIRY FARMING
To diversify its milk supply.
DECLINING MILK PRODUCTION
Danone distributes a large range of products
(yogurt, milk, cream etc). Declining milk
production is a cause of concern.
PROJECT ANSWER
ESTABLISHING COOPERATIVES TO PROFESSIONALISE AND MONETIZE THE PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY OF MILK FROM SMALL FARMS
RECEIVED MICRO–CREDIT& DONATIONS
For equipment
CAPACITY BUILDING ON MODERN
TECHNIQUES OF DAIRY FARMING
•Renovated and equip existing farms
and create new farms
•Increase in quality and quantity
improvement
MILK COOPERATIVE
MILK
MILK
RECEIVE IMPROVED
AGRICULTURAL SERVICES
• Capability building through training
• Artificial insemination
• Animal health and veterinary
CREATING 24 NEW MILK CO-OPERATIVES
Including 34 family farmers and subsistence farmers
A cooperative is a common point of collection (cooling tank, automatic, mobile
milking equipment) with agriculture services including training, feeding, veterinary.
IMPACTS
MILK
MILK
14 OF 24 CO-OP LEADERS ARE WOMEN
These women are elected by communities for
their contribution to dairy farming in the region.
1959 WOMEN FARMERS
Received training on dairy
farming practices.
MAJORITY OF JOBS
HELD BY WOMEN
72% of jobs created by the
project are held by women.
13% MILK
Danone collects 13% of it’s milk
from these co-operatives.
WHAT HAS CHANGED FOR THE WOMEN
Antonina Kurilenko, Cooperative “Dobrobut Andriivky
”Firstly I was afraid to take responsibility and become a leader of a
cooperative because I had just opened my own family farm not so long
before that. It was scary for me to have two businesses at the same time.
But I was chosen as a leader of the cooperative through the secret ballot
voting procedure. I am very happy to be leading the cooperative, after all
women are more involved on the farm than men in Ukraine.”
SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT
Women farmers have become
a driving force for change in the
professionalzation and expansion of
small holder dairy farming in Ukraine.
WOMEN AS LEADERS
With 14 of Co-ops being led by
women, women have gained respect
and recognition in their communities.