Overview
Kenya’s dairy sector is one of the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa and contributes to the livelihoods of almost 2 million people across the value chain. The sector provides 14 percent of the national agricultural GDP. Milk production in Kenya is predominantly managed by small-scale farmers that are responsible for about 70 percent of the milk production in the country. In general, the productivity of dairy cows is low and results in a supply shortage of dairy products. Milk yields range from less than 1 to 10 litres per cow per day in extensive systems, and from 9 to 18 litres per cow per day in intensive systems. Milk yields are largely variable because of the limited availability of feed resources, diseases and poor farm management.

Baseline greenhouse gas emissions
In 2015, Kenya’s dairy cattle systems were responsible for about 12.3 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂-eq.) of greenhouse gas emissions. Over 85 percent of these emissions originated from enteric methane and almost 11 percent from the management of stored manure. Extensive grazing systems had the highest emission intensity, while the lowest values were found in semi-intensive systems. At the national level, the emission intensity of milk was on average 4 kg CO₂-eq. per kilograms of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM). The average emission intensities were as follows:  

7 kg CO₂-eq/kg FPCM for the extensive system

2 kg CO₂-eq/kg FPCM for the intensive system

4 kg CO₂-eq/kg FPCM for the semi-intensive system

Mitigation interventions 
The use of urea-treated crop residues can reduce Keya’s emission intensities by 8 percent, while supplementation with sweet potato vines and sorghum silage can decrease them by almost 50 percent. The study revealed that all interventions showed a positive productivity outcome with increases in milk production ranging between 6 (urea-treated crop residues) to 95 percent (supplementation with sweet potato vines and sorghum silage). Moreover, the establishment of fodder grasses and legumes gardens, vaccination against East Coast Fever and improved genetics would increase milk production by 30 percent and decrease emission intensity by up to 36 percent.