According to the CM Products Market Size Industry Report 2020–2027, the global CM products market size was valued at 10.2 billion USD in 2019 and is estimated to rapidly increase across the world. The rising popularity of CM can be attributed to its perceived health advantages, which include its particular richness in minor bioactive components, superior digestibility, and suitability for consumers with intolerance to bovine milk. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a heightened recognition of CM's value and an increase in consumer demand due to its immune-boosting properties. The camelid sector is recognized for its resilience and significant potential for growth and production. However, the current landscape in the Southern Mediterranean offers limited marketing opportunities for innovative products, resulting in modest returns for rural producers. Despite some exceptions in countries like the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, CM remains largely absent from national markets, with over 90% of sales occurring through offline channels, primarily at the farm level or through local retailers due to its short shelf life and daily demand1. Moreover, camel rearing still relies on traditional extensive farming methods, resulting in low productivity, especially in light of escalating feed shortages in Southern Mediterranean countries.
The CAMELAIT4MED project addresses these challenges by integrating small-scale producers, collectors, and small dairy industries into formal supply chains, with the support of research centers, while enhancing CM value chain management. This includes promoting shorter value chains to enhance quality control, maintaining the cold chain for product safety, and minimizing post-production losses. By adopting an integrated approach, the project aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of CM production and distribution, emphasizing artisanal practices to facilitate direct relationships between producers and consumers. The project also responds to urban demand by implementing small agribusiness models that provide viable livelihoods for smallholders, particularly women involved in the milk industry. The project fully complies with the concept of One Welfare by addressing the health and well-being of workers, minimizing environmental impacts, improving the health and welfare of camels, and promoting economic sustainability of our proposals.
Through interdisciplinary scientific research in agricultural science, nutrition, animal management and welfare, equipment, materials science, food technology, and information technologies, the project explores different dimensions of the camel milk value chain and its potential for innovative products.
Key strategies to improve small-scale dairy camel farming will focus on different aspects:
(i) modernizing management practices,
(ii) enhancing milk quality and extending shelf life,
(iii) establishing a traceable milk supply chain by uniting feed producers, farmers, collectors, processors, and distributors in a consortium, and
(iv) advocating for CM consumption and disseminating knowledge to stakeholders, nutritionists, doctors and students. We also aim to develop adjusted feeds, promote sustainable farming techniques, and implement efficient milking procedures to increase profitability and attract investment and young farmers in this sector.
The project emphasizes circular economy principles by incorporating by-products and local drought-resistant forages into feed formulations to reduce water consumption, increase autonomy, and reduce environmental impacts. The project also aims to produce milk that preserves or enhances its functional qualities while proposing innovative packaging methods to boost its nutritional value and extend the shelf life, contributing to sustainable practices within the camel dairy industry. The shelf life of milk is influenced by the type of packagingused. We propose developing packaging materials with sensing properties (temperature/acidification history) made from renewable sources, such as silk fibroin (extracted from silkworms), which absorbs significant amounts of CO2. This biomaterial effectively blocks oxygen, keeping products fresh longer than traditional petroleum-based films, and also protects against damaging UV-B rays. Additionally, it breaks down more easily than other compostable plastic and is designed for backyard composting rather than requiring industrial facilities.. A colorimetric sensor will be integrated into the cap, allowing some milk to remain in contact with the sensor when the bottle is tipped. The change in pH will alter the vitrification state of the proteins, resulting in a noticeable color change.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for the project's success, involving strong international expertise of our partners in animal science, veterinary medicine, data science, food technology, nutrition, environmental science, economics, business, and social sciences.
Stakeholder engagement with farmers, feed producers, processing companies, food industry, consumers, government agencies, research institutions, and local communities ensures the project’s alignment with local needs and preferences, fostering trust and empowerment. This collaborative approach facilitates knowledge exchange and practical implementation, bridging the gap between research and market application. Thanks to the applied nature of our investigations, we hope to quickly see the impact of our proposals on smallholder camel farms and the structuration of the milk chain.
Public and societal engagement strategies, including community meetings, workshops, educational campaigns, and participatory research activities, willbuild trust and ensure benefits for local communities.
- Principal Investigators: Gabriele Brecchia
- Lead organization: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Scienze Animali
- Financing institution: MINISTERO DELL'UNIVERSITA' E DELLA RICERCA
- Type: JPI_MIUR - Joint Programming Initiatives_MIUR
- Coordinatore: UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO
- Start date: 2025
- Duration in months: 36 mesi
- Status: Open