Skip to main content

Cornell University

Emerging Markets Program

2022 – Dopoto Beekeeping & Marketing Coop

Dupoto Beekeeping & Marketing Cooperative Society Limited is a newly formed and registered marketing cooperative within Mukogodo East in Laikipia County. Established in February 2021, the cooperative has already registered over 350 members from the six Maasai communities that live around the Mukogodo forest reserve. Mukogodo forest reserve is a gazetted national forest, that is managed through a community forest association (keen on integrating cultural knowledge with modern conservation methods) and guided by Kenya’s 2016 Forest Management and Conservation Act. Since its founding, the cooperative has been supported by Laikipia Wildlife Forum and the FAO in various capacity-building efforts that are focused on beekeeping practices, group dynamics, leadership, governance, and cooperative management. As a new enterprise, that is also limited by a lack of infrastructure, capital and technical capacity, the group has chosen to concentrate on the production of raw honey.

The SMART Challenge:

Dopoto cooperative needs assistance in developing a marketing plan that will provide access to reliable and strong markets for its raw honey to improve its members’ household incomes. The desired marketing plan needs to:

  • Assist the group in identifying and mapping market options that minimize aggressive middlemen who exploit the farmers.
  • Assist the group in product development (e.g. branding, developing promotional materials)
  • Develop and implement a short marketing and promotion training program
  • Promote both skilled and unskilled job opportunities for women and youth
  • Increase cooperative membership (there are approx. 2,230 households that would qualify)

Required Team Skills

  • Background in Applied Economics and Management, Marketing, Global development, Natural resource management, and entomology.
  • Strong research, data analytical, writing, and communication skills
  • Strong time management abilities
  • Team player – cultural humility, resilience, flexibility

Fieldwork Dates: January 3 – 13, 2023

Field location: Laikipia, Kenya

Faculty & Project Lead

  • Fridah Mubichi-Kut | Professor of Practice, Applied Economics and Policy, Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management
Skip to toolbar