ike all the NGOs that defend Sahelian breeders, the West African peasant organization Apess declares that it is “worried” about Brussels' decisions to “subsidize” the storage of powdered milk by European dairy manufacturers . This decision is intended to relieve the breeders of the Old Continent after the fall in milk prices caused by the closure of places of consumption such as restaurants and canteens at the precise moment when the spring dairy overproduction exploded.

"We fear that this milk will be destocked in West Africa " at dumping prices in the form of re-fattened skimmed milk powders, indicated Hindatou Amadou, spokesperson for Apess and coordinator of the western campaign. African "my milk is local", during a recent round table on the subject. At the beginning of May, a dozen peasant and solidarity associations, including Oxfam or CCFD Terre solidaire, had already warned of a risk of a "serious crisis", while West Africa would like to bet in particular on the sector of breeding to support employment, fight against undernourishment, contain emigration and ultimately fight against violence.

In 2015, European skimmed milk powders, re-fattened with vegetable fats, were distributed at 54% in sub-Saharan Africa, confirms a publication by the European Commission. The practice developed in 2017-18, thanks to the surge in butter prices on world markets. “With milk fat, a number of industrialists produced butter which they sold at very good prices , and the skimmed milk powder that remained was then re-fattened with palm oil and sold in emerging countries at lower prices than their local milk,” a French industrial source told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Under the guise of helping developing countries to feed their population at affordable prices, European dairy manufacturers therefore participate in this vast trade which greatly “destabilizes” “local breeders”, confirms this source. In the first rank are Irish groups (22% of sales of fattened milk powders made in Africa in 2015, according to the European Gira report of 2017), then Dutch (15%), Belgian (10%), Polish (5 %), Germans (4%) and French (4%).

CREATION OF A CUSTOMS CODE

The volumes concerned are difficult to quantify precisely , as these products are not identified by customs. Under the influence of NGOs, a customs code allowing them to be traced has just been created since January 1 (NC 1901 90 95). “Globally, these imports nevertheless still have a huge influence,” notes Gilles Vias, of the NGO Vétérinaires sans frontières. "In the industrial milk processing units in West Africa, we are at 5% local milk and 95% imported milk (in powder form, editor's note) transformed into dairy products", according to him. It calls for either an increase in customs duties, currently at 5%, or a "tap" policy, which would allow imports to be stopped when local milk is available, particularly in the micro-dairies of the Sahel which depend on non-sedentary herds, very fragile.

The subject is all the more important since the countries of the Sahel are very large consumers of milk, but also producers thanks to their extensive and transhumant herds. Mali, Niger and Mauritania thus produce 76% of local milk in West Africa, according to Gilles Vias. Challenged, some European manufacturers are just beginning to react by supporting local production. Arla Foods (Denmark) has entered into a partnership with the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture. The Dutch cooperative Friesland Campina has also invested in the development of dairy drinks from local milk. The French fund Amundi Finance et Solidarité increased its investments in May in "the shepherd's dairy" in Senegal to enable it to increase its production. This dairy, of which Danone is one of the financial partners, collects milk from Fulani herders in northern Senegal, and ensures its processing and distribution.