Strengthening Partnership Through Dairy Diplomacy
Laos
Laos is one of the poorest, least developed countries in Southeast Asia. Roughly a fifth of the population lives on less than $1.25 per day and a primarily rice based diet. Over 33% of Laotian children are chronically malnourished.
The US Embassy in Laos identified an American co-owned business, the Laos Buffalo Dairy, as a means to provide rural communities with sustainable incomes and an alternative source of nutrition, and reached out to Spirit of America for support.
The Dairy needed specialized equipment in order to expand production. Spirit of America acted quickly to fill the gap and provided $10,000 worth of equipment to the Dairy.
The Dairy rents buffalo from local farmers, providing them with sustainable incomes, and uses the donated equipment to process larger quantities of milk to make dairy products which are sold on the local market.
While in the care of the Dairy, each buffalo is vaccinated free of charge. The Dairy also holds various workshops including veterinary training, English language classes, and an animal husbandry program.
“The Laos Buffalo Dairy is a great example of how American companies…promote a socially responsible business model [overseas]. And with this business, everybody wins: the farmers get an income, the buffalo get vaccines, and consumers like me get delicious cheese and ice cream.”
US Ambassador Rena Bitter
The Laos Buffalo Dairy embodies Spirit of America’s entrepreneurial mindset and its goal to increase awareness of positive US involvement in underdeveloped countries.
US diplomacy never tasted so sweet!
