French farmer bets on camel milk in camembert country

IOL News

5 days ago

Camels eat at "La Camelerie" a farm of camels, in Feignies, northern France. Julien Job, 43-year-old atypical breeder, has launched a camel breeding business, selling camel milk and cheese. - a unique approach in France.
"You have to like the unknown," said Job, 43, who used to transport animals for zoos and circuses before opening his "Camelerie" farm in the village of Feignies in 2015.
The tall, gangly silhouettes of Julien Job's herd of 80 camels and dromedaries - one of the largest in Europe - make for an unusual sight in a country globally renowned for its cow and goat milk cheeses.
IN a small village in northern France, where cows have grazed green pastures for as long as anyone can remember, one farmer has defied national traditions by producing camel milk and cheese.
Job was the first farmer in France to obtain approval from EU health agencies to commercialise camel milk and dairy products.
But demand for camel milk is growing as its ecological and health benefits become better known.
Containing up to five times more iron than cow's milk, it is non-allergenic and some studies have suggested that it has immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties.
On its website, the Camelerie farm offers pasteurised camel milk, kefir (fermented milk) and sometimes "Bosse des Fagnes" and "Camelhoumi" - two cheeses developed with the support of researchers that earned Job a medal at the 2024 World Cheese Awards in Kazakhstan.
Camel milk is highly perishable and pasteurisation is essential to bringing it to wider markets.
Superfood
The milk is richer in vitamin C than cow's milk, easier to digest for lactose-intolerant people and high in unsaturated fatty acids.
Some studies are also exploring its potential effects on cancer cells, blood sugar regulation in diabetics and autism.
"There is a mix of myths, empirical observations and scientific truths around this milk," said Bernard Faye, a researcher at the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development.
Camel milk has traditionally been produced by nomads in arid or semi-desert regions and reserved for their own consumption.
But in recent decades, farms have appeared in Gulf countries and global demand has surged, up more than eight percent year-on-year in Europe.
With climate change, new countries are also turning to camel farming, from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States.