The camel milk sector in Mediterranean basin

Abstract

Camel milk is a new product on the market around the Mediterranean Basin (MB). The objective of the paper was to achieve a state-of-the-art regarding the camel milk sector around the MB and its constraints and challenges to overcome. The Southern bank of the MB involves 99.5% of the camel herd vs 0.5% only in the European countries. Few data are available in FAO database regarding camel milk production. Only 4 countries, all in north Africa, declared camel milk production: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya. The total declared was more than 29,500 tons for 2023 with more than 51% in Algeria and 31% in Morocco. There are challenges for the camel dairy development in the MB. The introduction of camel milk on market is a recent feature, in general all over the world as it was already underlined. Longtime, the camel milk was a part of the “gift economy” contributing to the “subsistence economy” of the nomad people. The current mutation of the camel farming systems is not limited to some rich countries of the Middle East, but is involving also, most of the countries of the MB. Boosted by a growing urban demand in terms of quantity, quality and diversity of the dairy products, boosted also by the differential of price compared to cow milk based notably to the expected health effect of camel milk, the “commodification” of the camel milk is contributing to the emergence of true dairy camel sector at regional level. Camel milk remains a “niche product”, even if its recent growth was important. The high price of the product on the market cannot attribute to this product a competitive interest compared to cow milk, even in countries from the south bank of the MB where the camel population is important. Camel cannot be regarded as “the cow of the future” despite its advantages face to the current environmental challenges. However, the margin of development of the camel sector around the MB is not negligible and must be supported by more favourable regulations, notably in Europe. The different segments of the sector (production, processing, distribution) must be able to benefit from administrative and political support in the different concerned countries.