The Green Dairy Partnership Project, supported by the Danida Green Business Partnership (DGBP) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, has launched the ‘Pushti Kothha’ initiative to promote safe milk production and consumption.
The event took place on Thursday at Bharat Bhaina High School in Keshabpur, Jashore, and was attended by farmers, students, women entrepreneurs, youth, community leaders, and government officials. The initiative aims to enhance awareness and practices around clean, hygienic milk from farm to table.
Administered by Solidaridad Network Asia, the project features key partners such as PRAN Dairy, Arla Foods, IDRN-Bangladesh Agricultural University, SEGES Innovation, and The Danish Agriculture & Food Council.
The Green Dairy Partnership Project seeks to build a green, safe, and commercially sustainable dairy sector in Bangladesh. The project aims to achieve a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and increased incomes for 10,000 farmers, with potential expansion to 50,000 households. It also focuses on dairy nutrition security, particularly for children, while fostering community-wide responsibility for food safety.
Inspired by Arla Foods’ global initiative “Food Movers,” the consortium has adapted “Pushti Kothha” for ground-level participants. PRAN Dairy has recently highlighted the importance of safe milk. Since 2013, Solidaridad Network Asia has been promoting safe milk production and consumption in Bangladesh through a market-based approach, transforming the smallholder dairy sector by combining behavior change, value chain development, and sustainability. This strategy encourages nutrient-rich diets, such as milk, and aims to improve health outcomes and gender relations.
The event was attended by Rexona Khatun, Upazilla Nirbahi Officer Keshabpur; Dr Md Golam Haider, Divisional Director, Department of Livestock Services Khulna; Dr Md Siddikur Rahman, District Livestock Officer Jashore; Md Mahafuzul Hossain, District Education Officer Jashore; Sheikh Feroj Ahmed, Upazilla Secondary Education Officer Keshabpur; Abdur Rahman, District Food Safety Officer Jashore; Laurent Ponty, Managing Director Arla Foods Bangladesh; Maksudur Rahman, Chief Operating Officer PRAN-Dairy; and Md Moziball Hoque, Head of Supply Chain Solidaridad Network Asia, along with senior officials from Arla Foods and PRAN Dairy.
Over 600 students and teachers participated in the event, engaging in interactive learning sessions, hands-on demonstrations, and youth-friendly activities, which emphasized the importance of clean and safe milk for health. Dr Md Shimul Islam, Associate Professor, Department of Food and Nutrition Technology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, conducted the session.
Participants received a brochure with practical guidance on hygiene, boiling milk safely, storing milk at home, and preventing contamination. They also received an interactive ludo board with instructions on safe food practices. Both toolkits were developed with the guidance of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority. Dairy products were distributed to encourage the healthy habit of drinking milk.
The Green Dairy Partnership Project integrates best practices from European dairy systems, focusing on improving feed efficiency, animal health, manure management, and land use. These initiatives aim to reduce carbon emissions, improve productivity, and enhance the livelihoods of local farmers while promoting a greener, more efficient dairy sector.
