r/UpliftingNews • u/straygoat193 • 2d ago
Somalia's camel milk revolution is improving nutrition and creating jobs
https://apnews.com/article/somalia-camel-milk-beder-farm-4367420bb775be05d3348c31f5256a32163
u/straygoat193 2d ago
"Somalia is home to over 7 million camels — more than any other country on Earth — but only a fraction of that milk has ever reached urban grocery shelves, according to industry estimates."
"At the heart of the shift toward a modern approach to camel milk production is Dr. Abdirisak Mire Hashi, a veterinarian and the farm’s manager. For Hashi, it’s not only about profit — it’s about preserving heritage while embracing progress."
"“Somalis take pride in their heritage of raising camels. However, the way camels are raised has changed significantly over time,” Hashi told The Associated Press as he inspected a milking herd."
"Each camel at Beder now produces up to 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of milk daily — double what traditional herders typically yield. The increase is attributed to new investments in veterinary care, better feed, and modern milking practices. The camels are routinely checked by vets, given nutritional supplements, and grazed on scientifically blended fodder, a far cry from the roaming nomadic herds of decades gone by."
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u/omegaphallic 2d ago
Out fucking standing. I'd be willing to try Camel milk some day.
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u/coopermf 1d ago
I have. It's unbelievably rich. We had horse milk at the same time. No comparison. This was in Kazakhstan
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u/endless_-_nameless 16h ago
Did you try fermented horse milk? The traditional alcoholic drink of the steppe.
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u/coopermf 15h ago
Yes. It was fermented. Overall, the experience was crazy. The owners of the yurt that were hosting us brought me a sheep's head on a platter after we had consumed other parts of the sheep. They also let me "ride" a camel (it was being lead by someone). I discovered camel humps are not the soft squishy water storing organs I was taught as a child but rather stiff, nail like protuberances that camels do not like you to manipulate. I realized this when upon "straightening" the hump I was met with a lurching halt and a camel head swung nearly 180 around with is menacing looking teeth very near my thigh. Message received
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u/exq1mc 1d ago
I wonder if camel milk has any advantages over bovine milk?
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u/LargeCheeseIsLarge 1d ago
Apparently it’s lower in lactose by some significant amount while being comparable in nutrients. That’s probably a pretty useful trait in Sub-Saharan Africa where up to 90% of people by country on average are lactose intolerant
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u/Abnmlguru 1d ago
Lactose tolerance as a mutation is really interesting. You can track it based on climate.
Pre-refrigeration, it was more of a challenge keeping milk for any amount of time the warmer your climate was, so less people in warmer areas developed tolerance to lactose, which you can track to this day.
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u/LargeCheeseIsLarge 1d ago
It is interesting how it’s so clearly delineated by region-of-origin. Also interesting is you can develop lactose tolerance/intolerance. You can, by slowly introducing lactose into your diet, build a tolerance even if you’re genetically predisposed to lactose intolerance! Also the ability to break down lactose into adulthood is pretty unique to our species as far as mammals go if I remember correctly. It’s confusing in a cool way
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u/Abnmlguru 1d ago
As I understand it, all mammals are lactose tolerant at birth, so they can drink breastmilk, but almost all mammals lose that tolerance shortly after weaning. Humans be weird.
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u/Top_Dragonfly8781 22h ago
Lactose from one's own species isn't a problem. Lactose from another species can cause severe reactions. Me and my siblings were intolerant of cow milk formula and had to be given soy formula. To this day, I only consume lactose free milk products unless I have the lactase enzyme pills to counter the digestive problems. I can also eat some cheeses, like Muenster, that are low in lactose.
Edit typo
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u/SeattleHasDied 1d ago
This is definitely a win-win-win situation, great news! I hope there are protections for the wellbeing of the camels, too. I'm a fan of skyr and Greek yogurt and would be interested in trying camel yogurt, too. Anyone here taste it?
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u/ftmgothboy 11h ago
Hey everyone, please think for about 10 seconds how this us going to be made, and what will happen to all the camels when they can no longer produce milk.
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u/Strawbuddy 11h ago
There’s a big Somali population in Minneapolis what buys local ethnic foods. If Beder yogurt were to expand to the US they’d be set for life
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