Diary for development Cathy Le Feuvre introduces a new series about the RJA&HS led projects which are transforming the lives of smallholder farmers and their families in Africa
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n November 2021 people from across the world attended the first African Jersey Forum conference hosted at the Royal Jersey Showground in Trinity. In these Covid times, it was a virtual meeting which saw most delegates joining online. In addition to small audiences in Jersey and in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, nearly 1,000 people from at least 35 countries (mostly in Africa) participated in the two-day conference. It's testament not just to the way technology can bring us together, but also evidence of the growing impact that the Jersey cow is making on the dairying world, particularly in Africa.
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Formed in 2019 at the World Jersey Cattle Bureau Conference in Rwanda in eastern Africa, by the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RJA&HS) with the support of Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), the African Jersey Forum is among the forward-thinking initiatives which see the Jersey breed become increasingly popular across a continent where smallholder farming is the norm. The RJA&HS Dairy for Development team is headed by David Hambrook and supported by programme officer Sam Thomson and coordinator Louise Agnès. Dairy and market development specialist David ‘Dai’ Harvey, originally from Zambia and based in the UK, provides technical expertise and management support.
David Hambrook was delighted with the conference, which welcomed many speakers from around the world to share experiences and expertise. ‘The primary function of the African Jersey Forum is to share knowledge, and this is exactly what the conference ensured. The RJA&HS are very grateful to Jersey Overseas Aid and Deputy Carolyn Labey, Minister for International Development, for supporting the African Jersey Forum, and the other Dairy for Development Projects that we manage in Rwanda, Malawi and Ethiopia.’ Those three projects were all profiled at the conference, but the history of the work to develop dairy industries around the globe by introducing Jersey cows and genetics goes back hundreds of years. Exports of pure-bred Jersey cattle began in the 18th Century and this grew in the following two centuries. Jerseys are now the second most popular breed of dairy cow globally and can be found in over 100 countries.
