Impact Evaluation of the Maziwa initiative that helps achieve food security in Meru County, Kenya

Title Maziwa – Miglioramento delle cooperative della filiera lattiero-casearia nella contea di Meru
Location Meru county, Kenya
Duration 4 years after the end of the project (2018-2021)
Partners Fondazione AVSI, IPSIA, Comune di Padova, EDUS, Meru County Government, Don Bosco Association
Funding Ufficio III della Direzione Generale per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo del Ministero degli Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale

 

Context
Kenya’s dairy sector is among the most advanced in Africa and is the second largest on the continent in terms of herd size (after Ethiopia). The industry is constantly expanding, with an estimated annual growth rate of between 3% and 4%. A key component of the national economy, according to data from the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB), the dairy sector contributes approximately 4.5% to the national GDP. The sector supports approximately 1.8 million smallholder farming families and provides direct employment to approximately 750,000 people, with an additional 500,000 employed in related activities. Milk production is mainly driven by small farmers, organised into cooperatives, who contribute about 80% of the milk produced.

The sector is critical to national food security, accounting for over 7% of total calorie intake, and includes both the formal and informal segments, with the latter accounting for 45% of milk sold, according to KDB estimates. However, it should be noted that milk sold informally can pose public health problems, as it is not subject to production, storage and transport checks.

The Maziwa initiative was implemented in Meru County to help achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by improving the management and production systems of dairy cooperatives in Meru County.

General Objective
M&E and Impact Evaluation Unit was involved by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the project to conduct the impact assessment of the project, four years after its completion. The impact assessment aims to analyse the changes generated by the intervention in the medium term, with particular attention to the results obtained and the impacts recorded among the main beneficiaries and stakeholders in Meru County, as well as to understand the extent to which these changes are attributable to the project action. This study aims to assess the Aid Effectiveness of the initiative in relation to the five expected results of the project.

 

Our contribution
To carry out the assessment, ARCO’s research team adopted three approaches: a theory-based approach, a results-based approach, and a gender-sensitive approach.

The research team analysed the impact generated by the agricultural, livestock and economic development model promoted by Maziwa, with the aim of assessing its potential for replication in other projects.

The analysis focused on the direct effects in terms of food security and nutrition levels, sector profitability and competitiveness of the production system, living conditions of the population and women’s empowerment processes.

Specific attention was paid to the impact on employment, especially for women and young people, and to the spread of sustainable agricultural practices. The assessment also considers any indirect impacts of the Maziwa project, particularly with regard to access to education, with a focus on gender inequalities.