FAO and EU in Syria created a new livelihood approach for rural families. Two milk-processing units in Homs and Hama governorates were established to produce quality milk and cheese.

The units are being managed by the local community. Moreover, milk suppliers and female workers are operating the unit after they received training on milk handling standards and new techniques to produce quality local cheese with the use of modern technologies.

The projects has been able to

• Create jobs for 300 rural citizens. The majority of them are women who are milk suppliers as well 
• Provide an opportunity for rural citizens to sell their daily milk produce and therefore obtain a sustainable income 
• Encourage farmers to have more than one cattle to produce and sell milk to the Milk Processing Unit. Farmers found channels to sell their products. 
• Allow the Milk Processing Unit to produce quality milk and local cheese products and sell it to surrounding villages and sales points.