India’s Dairy Revolution
SINCE MARCH 1974 THE WORLD BANK HAS FUNDED five dairy development projects in India. These projects have supported Operation Flood, an Indian initiative to support a OF was not a Bank project; it was created and led by Dr. Vergese Kurien, and endorsed by the government. The Bank’s interest began in 1968, but it was not until 1974 that the Board approved the first of five Bank projects in support of OF. The Bank’s support helped to validate the government’s policy changes, as did the decision of the European Community and the World Food Program to provide generous amounts of dairy products to support OF. The Bank projects also bolstered the government’s efforts required for the program’s growth. This is an excellent example of Bank lending: a program designed by Indians, targeted for the poor, and supported by key development partners. Policy Changes The expansion of India’s dairy industry since the early 1970s stems from two maS farmer-controlled cooperative dairy program. Other major ...