Earlier this year, the global fight against HIV/AIDS received a boost from a partnership between Ethiopian dairy farmers and Land O’Lakes International Development. On May 1, 2008, Land O’Lakes and members of dairy cooperatives in the highlands of Ethiopia began an initiative, with funding from the President’s Emergency Program for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), to identify and support economic opportunities within the dairy industry for people living with HIV/AIDS. While the collaboration may seem unusual, Land O’Lakes and its local partners have discovered how to transform the expertise of dairy farmers in North America into tangible benefits for HIV/AIDS-affected communities across Ethiopia.

Ethiopia maintains the largest population of cattle in Africa, an estimated total of 35 million cows. These livestock are often the most important resource for underprivileged Ethiopian households, providing nourishment for families and needed income through milk sales. The rigors of milking, feeding, and sustaining a dairy herd, however, are often too physically demanding for people living with HIV/AIDS. Not participating in this key source of income can worsen the economic standing of communities already struggling with a workforce burdened with HIV/AIDS infection.

Land O’Lakes and its local partners aim to change this. Combining local know-how with the technical expertise of a Fortune 500 agribusiness, this partnership seeks to identify and support dairy-based income-generating activities appropriate for people living with HIV/AIDS. These activities include dairy cow feed production, local milk delivery services, and low-intensity composting. Each activity has been designed specifically for people living with HIV/AIDS and accommodates their special abilities, as well as the constraints of treatment schedules. All participants receive robust activity-based training and can access small grants, enabling them to buy key start materials. A substantial partnership staff will monitor and support these activities for two years, providing individual assistance to each participant and ensuring that new enterprises are as self-sustaining as possible.

The connection between dairy production in North America and HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa may not be immediately apparent. The Land O’Lakes partnership in Ethiopia demonstrates, however, that assistance programs for HIV/AIDS relief should not be confined to medical care alone. The spread of this disease has far-reaching impacts, and all members of the global community can contribute to relief efforts.