G8 Should Partner with Camels to Reduce Famine Conditions

Could the camel be the stopgap measure to ending world hunger in Third World countries? One veterinary scientist/physiology professor, Reuven Yagil, at Ben-Gurion University in Israel has been studying camels and their life-giving milk here since 1969 and believes the answer is a resounding "yes". According to Yagil, milk from one camel can nutritiously feed 40 children per day, with camel's milk being higher in protein (than cow's milk), lower in fat, and digestible by lactose intolerant people.

"Unfortunately, we have the resources (camels) in African countries suffering from famine and drought, but we need to get the nomads to bring their animals to camel farms where the milking and distribution would take place," Yagil explains. "Even offering one cent for every 2-1/2 gallons of milk, with 100 camels yielding 5-1/2 gallons per day, the nomad would earn in one day what it takes an average Kenyan six months to earn."

A trial camel dairy was set up in Isiolo, Kenya, some years ago, but due to lack of funding, it runs at very low key. Interestingly enough, in 1980 the United Nations studied the use of camel's milk in famine stricken areas and recommended the utilization of this healthy food source, but was not able to supply the funds to make the project a reality. Yagil, however, has dedicated his life to making this project a reality.

"It's so frustrating to see people starving when we have this readily available, naturally replenishable food source right in front of our eyes," Yagil laments. "Why fly in food from abroad when the easy and healthful solution exits in their countries right now? This is a project G8 should begin committing funds to right away."

Camels were actually the first animals to be domesticated for milk, centuries before cows. They are, in fact, the only milk bearing animal that thrives in arid regions, even during droughts. Nomadic tribes have historically survived disease and famine because of their ability to subsist on little more than camel's milk. Health-wise, camel's milk is lower in cholesterol than cow's milk, higher in Vitamin C than goat's milk and genetically closer to human's milk than both of them. Because its low fat homogenized "good fat", protein and sugars are digestible by even those with a lactose deficiency, camel's milk is a product destined to do well in health food markets throughout the world - sold as milk or ice cream.

Yagil's team was the first to make camel's milk ice cream, calling it "Gama-lida" in Hebrew ("Gamal" means camel, and "Glida" means ice cream). Using less than a quart of camel's milk to produce a quart of ice cream, The International Camel Center here serves up "Desert Dessert" flavors including date, fig and mango.

"When Jack Hanna visited here to do a segment for his 'Animal Adventures' show, he was really excited about the ice cream, as he's lactose intolerant, and had to give up ice cream many years ago," Yagil relates. "The look on his face was priceless as he tasted his first bite! He couldn't believe how good it tasted while still being so low in fat and sugar content."

Efficiently obtaining camel's milk, however, is currently not a one-person task. Because milk rushes through a camel's udder very quickly, two people must alternately milk the camel's udder to prevent its milk from being reabsorbed. While a student at Ben-Gurion University has designed a milking machine prototype specifically for the camel, its $300,000 development price tag has kept that portion of the project temporarily sidelined.

Yagil is currently seeking $1 million from investors to establish a prototype dairy in Israel and an ice cream producing venture in Somaliland.