Income and consumption effects of milk commercialization in the lukkos area of morocco.

Two‐hundred and forty households were interviewed through a survey assessing the impact on various aspects of household welfare of a large‐scale irrigation project in the Lukkos region of Morocco. Installation of milk centers to collect milk from producers for commercial purposes affected households’ economic and dietary patterns. It motivated households to procure genetically improved cattle and hence to increase their milk production. Caring for improved cattle had a positive effect on household income, but no additional effect of access to milk centers on income could be shown. This access negatively affected household consumption of dairy products and calcium intake, particularly during summer, when alternative sources of calcium were less available. A nutrition education program should address the importance of the consumption of dairy products to improve the quality of households’ diet. Expansion of rural markets will also benefit this quality through increase in the frequency of food purchase and the physical and economic access to food markets. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]