The growing thirst for camel milk

"The camel may be the next cow," according to two Oxford University professors. 

Global demand for camel milk as an alternative to cow, sheep and goat milk is "burgeoning", Ariell Ahearn (lecturer in human geography) and Dawn Chatty (professor of anthropology and forced migration) wrote on The Conversation. It's low in fat and lactose while high in nutrients, and so is attracting health-conscious consumers.

The global camel dairy market size reached $7.5 billion in 2023, said Imarc. The industry is forecast to grow rapidly, potentially worth up to $13 billion (£10 billion) by the end of the decade, said Ahearn and Chatty. To meet that demand, camels are "increasingly being enclosed in vast Middle Eastern dairy farms" and milked by machines.

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Why is camel milk becoming more popular?

Nomads have consumed camel's milk for millennia, relying on it to sustain them while they traversed the deserts of the Middle East, Africa and Mongolia. These herders traditionally keep the camels without fences and milk them by hand, enjoying the mild, sweet flavour.

Camel milk production plays "an important role" in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia, said Dairy Global. But over the past two decades interest from other parts of the world has grown, with an increasing awareness of its health benefits "driving the surge". 

Although more expensive than cow's milk, camel milk is far richer in vitamin C, vitamin B, iron, calcium and other nutrients, and far lower in lactose and fat content.

Camels are "uniquely resilient to climate change", said Ahearn and Chatty. They can go for days with little water, surviving on sparse vegetation. Grassroots farmers in Africa have been switching from cattle to camels to better cope with droughts, and in 2021 about 64% of the world's camel milk production came from Somalia and Kenya.

Camels also produce less methane – which New Scientist calls the "most significant" contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide – than cows or sheep. 

In some ways, camels are "ideal livestock for the next climate reality", said Ahearn and Chatty. But these traits make them "increasingly attractive targets for intensive farming", as big businesses seek to combine climate fixes with growth opportunities.

Farms have been set up over the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the largest (in the UAE) boasting more than 10,000 animals. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund announced "further investment" earlier this year – in what has been designated "the International Year of Camelids" by the United Nations.

Problems with industrialised camel dairy farming

Increasing demand is driving breeders to develop camels that give higher milk yields, much like domesticated dairy cows. 

In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, some dairy farms now include "fattening" units for male camels to be sold for meat, said Ahearn and Chatty. Raising camels on this scale presents its own challenges, as males tend to become aggressive and even dangerous during rutting season.

Industrialised camel farming is also harmful to the environment, as it depends on fossil fuels and imported feeds. 

It's not without historic controversy, either. The "extractive model of animal production" was "superimposed on many camelid countries in colonial times", according to the International Workshop on Camelid Pastoralism in January. 

Camelids "should not be looked at as merely a means of production", participants said in a statement. They are "vital for food security and biodiversity protection" in arid regions, while their soft feet "do not disturb the soil".

The growth of industrialised camel farming, "based on maximising milk production through enclosure and control of mobility, should cause us to pause and reflect", said Ahearn and Chatty.