Abstract The increase in demand for dairy products in Burkina Faso is encouraging livestock producers to develop milk production. Three types of dairy systems (pastoralists, agropastoralists and market-oriented dairy farms) have been characterised based on a sample of 60 producers operating in the West and centre of the country. Pastoralists’ dairy operations consist mainly of zebus, rely on pasture for feed, store little fodder, and recover little manure. Milk yields are low (1.4 l/tropical livestock unit (TLU)/day) and milk sales are limited, but mostly benefit women. Agropastoralists’ dairy operations consist mainly of zebus, store more fodder for feed, use more concentrate and recover manure better. Milk yields are higher (3.1 l/TLU/day) and milk sales are threefold those of pastoralists, but less of the money generated by milk sales goes to women. Market-oriented dairy farmers’ operations are mainly made up of crossbreds, reared indoors and fed on fodder and feeds, store much more fodder and recover manure even better. They generate the highest milk yields (7.3 l/TLU/day), and milk sales are 2.5-fold those of agropastoralists. However, money earned from milk sales mainly benefits men. The study shows that the improvement in dairy systems’ technical and economic performance, which mostly rests on genetics and cow feed, but also on better recycling of agricultural by-products, is driven by a low-cost intensification and market opportunity (raising processors demand).