Feasibility of a Dutch–Kenyan Safe Milk Innovation Living Lab (SMILL)

This project explores the feasibility of a Dutch-Kenyan Safe Milk Innovation Living Lab (SMILL) with Kaptama Farmers' Cooperative Society (KFCS) in western Kenya. SMILL is a structured cooperative setting in which farmers, the cooperative, SMEs, and researchers jointly assess practical solutions. KFCS is a smallholder dairy farmers' cooperative and wants to strengthen safe milk production and collection, while preparing for future cooperative milk processing. To achieve this ambition, the cooperative needs insight into the technical, organisational, and economic conditions required.
Persistent contamination risks in smallholder dairy systems, including poor milking hygiene, unsafe milk handling, antibiotic misuse, and limited traceability, reduce milk quality and hinder KFCS’s ambition to collect safe milk consistently. These challenges limit market opportunities and make it difficult for cooperatives and farmers to move towards more reliable and higher-value dairy activities.
The consortium brings together KFCS as the central practice partner, Dutch SME Ante B.V. with expertise in milking and milk processing equipment, e-Prod Solutions with expertise in digital solutions, and VHL as the coordinating knowledge institution. The project builds on knowledge and field experience developed in the SIA-funded FORQLAB project. During this one-year exploratory phase, the partners will assess the feasibility of SMILL for safe milk production, collection, and future processing at farm and cooperative levels by analysing current practices, contamination risks, equipment and digitalisation needs, organisational requirements, and indicative business scenarios. The project focuses on feasibility rather than implementation.
If feasibility conditions are confirmed, the partners will use the results to prepare a follow-up pilot project. The project contributes to safer food systems, stronger cooperative dairy development, and international innovation collaboration between Dutch and Kenyan partners. It also contributes to the KIA Agriculture-Water-Food mission “Sustainable and Safe Food Systems”.