Beyond food safety: Socio-economic effects of training informal dairy vendors in Kenya

The informal dairy sector in Kenya contributes to nutrition security, health and livelihoods. Concerns over milk safety have seen the sector delegitimized. Strategies, such as training, that build capacity of those operating in the sector can deliver on multiple development outcomes. We conducted focus group discussions with trained and untrained dairy vendors in two locations in Kenya to understand the incentives and challenges to operating in the informal dairy sector and the perceived benefits and socio-economics effects of training. A survey and milk testing of informal dairy vendors was done to assess milk safety and handling practices and its relation to training. We provide recommendations on how to maximize the potential of capacity building activities in the informal sector to achieve improved health and livelihoods.