Every morning before sunrise in rural Mali, thousands of women begin work long before the markets open. They milk cows, care for livestock, process fresh milk and prepare dairy products that nourish their families and nearby communities. My aunt, Tantie Awa, is one of them. Growing up, I listened to her conversations about the many challenges she faced: feed costs, animal diseases and milk losses. Only later did I realized that these hardships and untapped opportunities are shared by the majority of Mali's dairy producers. 

Despite being home to one of West Africa's largest livestock populations, Mali continues to face the challenge of translating its livestock wealth into a more competitive and inclusive dairy value chain. With an estimated cattle herd of more than 13 million head in 2020, livestock contributes approximately 15% of national GDP and nearly 40% of agricultural GDP. Yet, significant volumes of locally produced fresh milk still struggle to reach formal markets, while imported milk powder continues to fill supply gaps. 

The challenge is not a lack of production potential, but persistent constraints across the dairy value chain. Low animal productivity, seasonal feed shortages, weak milk collection networks, limited cold-chain infrastructure, inadequate processing capacity and poor market access continue to limit the competitiveness of local milk. Recent fuel shortages have further disrupted milk collection and distribution, while trade, fiscal and investment policies have not consistently supported the competitiveness of locally produced milk. As a result, many processors continue to depend on imported milk powder to ensure a stable year-round supply, limiting incentives to invest in local milk collection, processing and value addition. 

For Mali (and many other African countries) the priority is therefore not simply to produce more milk, but to build an enabling environment in which local dairy value chains can compete, reach consumers efficiently and generate decent incomes for farming families. This is one of Mali's greatest untapped agrifood opportunities and precisely where the implementation of the Post-Malabo CAADP Strategy matters. 

Women like my aunt Awa are central to both the challenge and the solution. Across Mali, they are the backbone of the dairy value chain, playing a leading role in milking, processing and marketing dairy products while managing much of the income they generate. Yet, ownership of cattle, land and other productive assets often remains in men's hands. Across Sub-Saharan Africa, women account for approximately 66% of employment in agrifood systems, but continue to face greater barriers than men in accessing land, finance, veterinary services, extension support and productive technologies. Research from Mali shows that female-headed dairy households actively participate in milk markets and can achieve strong commercial outcomes when they have access to productive resources. Investing in women is therefore not only a matter of equity, it is one of the smartest investments Mali can make to strengthen its dairy sector. Expanding women’s access to productive assets, finance, infrastructure and markets would increase dairy productivity, improve nutrition, create rural employment and reduce dependence on imported dairy products. 

Addressing these constraints requires more than isolated investments. The Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan provides a framework for transforming local dairy value chains into engines of inclusive economic growth. This vision also reflects years of advocacy and campaigns by Oxfam and its partners to strengthen resilient local dairy value chains across the Sahel. 

One of its central ambitions is to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems through greater local value addition, stronger value chains and better market integration. For Mali's dairy sector, this means in practice, coordinated investments in animal health, feed systems, milk collection centers, cold-chain infrastructure, renewable energy, processing, transport and market access. It also requires trade, taxation and investment policies that support, rather than undermine, the competitiveness of locally produced milk. A competitive dairy sector is not built by farmers alone; it is shaped by the policies that determine which value chains are able to thrive. 

Implementation is already taking shape across West Africa. ECOWAS has identified competitive local dairy value chains as a regional priority, promoting policies that strengthen local production, processing and regional market integration. Farmers' organisations such as ROPPA and its member organisation CNOP-Mali have strengthened producer organisations and championed initiatives such as Mon Lait est Local, encouraging consumers to choose locally produced milk while improving opportunities for smallholder farmers. Together, these initiatives demonstrate that many of the building blocks of CAADP implementation already exist.  

The convergence of the Post-Malabo CAADP agenda, the International Year of the Woman Farmer and the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists makes 2026 is a unique opportunity to accelerate this transformation. Together, they recognize that resilient dairy systems depend on healthy rangelands, thriving pastoral communities, competitive local value chains and women farmers who have the resources to invest, innovate and grow. 

For women like my aunt Awa, implementation must translate into tangible change at the farm gate. First, invest in competitive local dairy value chains through milk collection centers, cold-chain infrastructure, veterinary services, renewable energy and rural roads that reduce post-harvest losses and connect farmers to markets. 

Second, place women at the centre of dairy transformation by expanding their access to land, affordable finance, producer organizations, extension services and leadership opportunities so they are recognized not only as contributors, but as entrepreneurs and decision-makers. 

Third, build a fair market for local milk by strengthening local processing, expanding public procurement (including sourcing locally produced milk for school feeding programs) and aligning trade, tax and investment policies to reward local value addition rather than undermine it. International partners should likewise ensure that their agricultural and trade policies support, rather than weaken, the development of West African dairy sectors. As the We Shouldn't Export Our Problems campaign in Belgium reminds us, sustainable partnerships should create opportunities for producers on both continents instead of exporting market distortions that weaken local livelihoods. 

Every morning before sunrise, women are already investing their labor, knowledge and resilience in Mali's dairy sector. The success of the Post-Malabo CAADP agenda will not be measured by the number of strategies adopted, but by whether women like her can sell more local milk, earn a better income and build thriving businesses. When the Kampala Declaration reaches the farm gate, Mali's dairy sector can become a model of how continental commitments translate into stronger local economies, greater food sovereignty and lasting opportunities for women farmers.