David Maina is a Development Economist specializing in livestock, feed, and fodder systems across Africa, with more than two decades of experience transforming agricultural potential into functioning, market-driven sectors. He currently serves as the Feed and Fodder Business Development Expert for the Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Project under AU-IBAR, where he supports countries in shaping sector financing, investment frameworks, and market structures that strengthen livestock productivity and resilience.
His work focuses on livestock sector financing, feed and fodder investment systems, and cooperative-driven market development that connect farmers, processors, and investors through structured commercial relationships. In East Africa’s dairy sector, he has been closely involved in advancing feeding systems through dairy cooperatives, supporting them to develop mechanisms that finance fodder production, strengthen feed supply chains, and stabilize milk productivity among their member farmers. This approach positions as anchors for organized feed supply and productivity improvement, beyond their basic mandate of milk aggregators and marketing.
David has led the design of practical financing and market mechanisms such as the Cooperative Fodder Fund and the Sustainable ASAL Fodder Economy (S.A.F.E.), initiatives aimed at strengthening fodder production systems, securing reliable feed supply, and enabling sustainable growth of dairy and beef value chains. He has worked extensively across Africa, spanning more than ten countries, collaborating with governments, financial institutions, development partners, cooperatives, and private enterprises to make livestock value chains commercially viable and investment-ready, particularly by strengthening the upstream productivity drivers that determine the competitiveness of livestock markets.
He has worked across the private sector, public institutions, and international development programs, with most of his career devoted to advisory services, agribusiness consulting, and sector-level investment advocacy. His work consistently aims to build market systems that outlive projects, mobilize capital into feed and fodder enterprises, and expand opportunities for youth and women in livestock value chains.
David holds an undergraduate degree in Economics, an MBA in International Business Development, and a Master’s degree in Agribusiness Management, academic foundations that complement his practical experience in structuring investment-ready livestock and feed sector systems across Africa.
