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The founder of Bahula Naturals, which is changing the economics of pastoral life in Rajasthan, Aakriti Srivastava, is a journalist from Delhi who is using her skills to build a better ecosystem. The company launched India's first community-based pastoral milk brand in the form of artisanal camel milk cheese, including Feta, Halloumi, Ricotta, and aged Cheshire.
Who Is Aakriti Srivastava?
Aakriti Srivastava is a young media professional turned social entrepreneur. While on an assignment for a documentary in Bajju village of Bikaner in 2017, she was deeply affected by the economic hardships faced by Thar Desert herders. Determined not to follow a regular corporate route, she spent five years on the ground researching before forming Bahula Naturals with Romal Singh and Suraj Singh in 2022.
What Inspired Aakriti Srivastava To Explore Camel Milk Cheese?
In 2015, when there were restrictions on camel sales along with modern mechanisation in farms, the pastoralist communities faced hard times, which resulted in the camel population dropping rapidly. Aakriti understood that for the conservation of camels and the welfare of the herders from communities like Raika and Rabari, she had to provide an economic motive. The superfood aspect of camel milk was utilised by her in making artisanal cheese. Since making 1 kg of cheese involves 60-70 litres of milk, she is able to buy huge amounts from the herders.
Inside India’s Camel Milk Artisanal Cheese Brand
Bahula Naturals, operating from Bikaner, milks thousands of free-roaming livestock in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Nagaur. The company utilises instant solar chiller technology to keep the freshness of the milk intact under the intense desert conditions before transforming it into gourmet cheese products. Some of the varieties offered by their product range include artisanal cheeses such as Feta, Halloumi, Ricotta, and Aged Cheshire.
Challenges Of Building A New Category
Building an entirely new product segment presented significant operational hurdles:
The first step involved educating people about the health benefits of camel milk because it was not often drunk by the families living in the city of India.
The desert environment needed advanced solar cooling systems to prevent the spoiling of the milk in remote villages.
Creating the recipe for cheeses such as Halloumi and Feta from pastoral milk took many trials.
What Makes Camel Milk Artisanal Cheese Unique?
The free-grazing camels feed on more than 40 varieties of native desert plants and endow the resulting product with a unique taste.
It may be either very soft (Feta), hard enough to grill (Halloumi), or very strong (Aged Cheshire), depending on its production and ageing processes.
It is a high-antioxidant and antibacterial product that suits the needs of people intolerant of lactose. It is useful in blood sugar regulation for diabetics.
Conclusion
Aakriti Srivastava has revolutionised artisanal dairy in India through her venture Bahula Naturals. Not only has she created a lifeline for the pastoral communities in Rajasthan, but she has done so by converting raw camel’s milk to gourmet cheeses.
Image credits: Instagram
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