For thousands of years, camels have been a staple of diets in specific communities across the arid regions of the Middle East and North-East Africa. Now these humped animals are on the rise beyond their traditional homelands as their produce is cropping up on shelves around the world.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ AhmedAlAwadhi7)
Potential of Camel Products
The United Nations declared 2024 the International Year of Camelids (IYC 2024). Camelids are a family of animals that includes camels, llamas, and alpacas. The celebration aims to highlight their contribution to nutrition, food security, and economic growth.
According to the organization, camels already contribute about 8% of total milk production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Market research also estimates that the global milk trade can reach more than $13 billion by the decade's end, an increase from $1.3 billion in 2022.
Dr. Ariell Ahearn, a department lecturer in human geography at the University of Oxford, explains that camel milk is already a standard product in grocery store refrigerators in countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. As investors spy an excellent business opportunity, they invest in new farms across the region. She also noted that having more choices between cow's milk and camel's milk in the UK is possible by 2050.
Camels are also beginning to crop up in Western countries. In fact, the largest farm in the US currently spans more than 1,000 acres in the hill country of Missouri and houses over 200 camels.
Why Should We Shift to Camels?
As climate change raises global temperatures, habitats worldwide become increasingly inhospitable to life. Cows may not cut it in some places where temperatures could soar, and pressures on food security are increasing, but camels might. There are also several benefits to using camels in arid climates.
First, camels can adapt to harsh environmental conditions. They can survive in temperate climates in Europe and tolerate high temperatures, so there is no need for air conditioning when operating camel farms.
The humped animals are also more efficient than cows at turning food and water inputs into meat and dairy products. This is important in regions where food and water are already becoming scarce. According to Ahearn, when one liter of camel milk is compared to one liter of cow milk, less feed and water are required to produce camel milk.
The study supports this claim: "A shift from cattle to camel and goat farming can sustain milk production with lower inputs and emissions in north sub-Saharan Africa's drylands." This research reveals that environmental conditions continue to worsen in Sub-Saharan Africa, and replacing cattle populations with camel and goat farms can easily pick up the slack. In this scenario, milk production can increase with less demand for water and food.
The camel farming industry can also help shrink greenhouse gas emissions. In cow farming, a significant source of emissions comes from the cows themselves when they burp and fart. According to the paper "Methane Emission by Camelids," the humped nomads release significantly less methane than ruminants.
Moreover, camel milk has a much higher vitamin C and iron content than cow milk, so it can be consumed by lactose-intolerant people. It was also revealed to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.
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