This document summarizes a new project funded by IFAD to improve sheep and goat value chains in Ethiopia. The project aims to increase incomes and productivity of smallholder farmers, especially women. It will test interventions across 16 communities in various regions of Ethiopia. The project will conduct analyses of the value chains, test production and marketing technologies, develop partnerships, and evaluate impacts with the goal of disseminating lessons learned and facilitating scaling up of successful approaches. It is implemented by ICARDA, ILRI, and Ethiopian research partners over 3 years with a budget of $1.2 million.

1. Improving the Performance of Pro-Poor Value Chains of Sheep and
Goats for Enhanced Livelihood, Food and Nutrition Security in
Ethiopia
Introduction to the new IFAD project
Barbara Rischkowsky (ICARDA)
Ethiopia small ruminants value chain strategy and implementation planning workshop,
Addis Ababa, 8-9 June 2015

2. Program overview
Duration: 13 April 2015 – 12 April 2018
Location: L&F VC sites in Ethiopia (16 target communities)
Total grant budget: 1,199,911 USD
Recipient: ICARDA
Implementing partners: ILRI and Ethiopian NARS
IFAD Grant manger: Dagmawi Habte-Selassie
IFAD partner projects: PCDP III and RUFIP II

3. Selected sites Region District Research Center
Goat Value Chains
Abergelle Amhara/
Tigray
Abergelle (Waq)
Tanqua Abergelle
Sekota
TARI
Negelle Borena Oromia Yabello (Borana) Bore
Goat and Sheep Value Chain
Shinelle Somali Shinelle Haromaya
University
Sheep Value Chains
Menz Amhara Molale and Mehal
Meda
Debre Berhan
Horro Oromia Horro/Shambu Bako
East Tigray Tigray Atsbi Mekelle
Doyogena SNNP Doyogena Worabe
Sheep and goat value chain sites in Ethiopia

4. Sheep and goat value chain sites in Ethiopia

5. • to improve livelihoods and assets, particularly of
women, through increased incomes, reduced risk
and improved market access in selected sheep and
goat meat value chains
Program goal

6. • to improve the performance of sheep and goat meat value
chains in Ethiopia through
a 25% increase in herd productivity (meat offtake),
30% increase in producers' incomes and
a 50% increase in meat quantity produced by 16 target
communities.
This will be achieved by identifying and addressing key
constraints and opportunities, improving institutional and
governance arrangements and capacities, and supporting the
establishment of enabling pro-poor policy and institutional
environments.
Main objective of the program

7. a) Creating a consensus for pro-poor transformation of the
target value chains among research and development
stakeholders and partner programmes in Ethiopia;
b) Testing and implementing interventions with the potential
to increase productivity and to enhance participation by the
poor and women along the value chain;
c) Designing site specific intervention packages based on the
evaluation of individual interventions and identified impact
pathways;
d) Designing a framework for up-scaling of interventions
packages with development partners including the IFAD
investment programmes; and
e) Documenting and communicating lessons learnt in Ethiopia.
Specific program objectives

8. • Sheep and goat value chain performance, governance and
institutional frameworks in Ethiopia understood and policy-
makers made aware of constraints for sectoral growth and of
gaps in institutional support
• First set of interventions adopted by target producers, both
women and men, and ready for up-scaling through a
network of development partners developed by the project.
• Dissemination of evidence and lessons learned and
feasibility study on the possibility of up-scaling the
interventions.
Key outcomes of the program

9. a) Analysis of sheep and goat value chain performance,
governance and institutional frameworks;
b) Design, implementation and evaluation of technology and
institutional interventions and integrated interventions
packages to improve value chain performance;
c) Facilitation of an enabling environment for value chain
transformation and for scaling up interventions; and
d) Design and implementation of data knowledge
management systems for documenting and sharing
evidence, outputs and lessons as a basis for scaling up.
Program components

10. a) Analysis of sheep and goat value chain performance,
governance and institutional frameworks;
– Quantitative value chain analysis (baseline for VC performance
and sheep and goat production at the VC sites);
– Design and implement a disease prevalence survey to assess
the risk and economic importance of PPR, sheep and goat pox
and other endemic diseases affecting sheep and goats;
– Analyze institutional, policy and regulatory framework of the
SR sector to develop institutional innovations and policy
recommendations.
Major activities by components

11. b) Design, implementation and evaluation of technology and
institutional interventions and integrated interventions
packages to improve value chain performance;
– Develop, test and evaluate prioritized best-bet technology and
institutional interventions that address production constraints, and
provide mechanisms for reducing transaction costs of sheep and
goat marketing as well as institutional support;
– Develop business models that target specific marketing channels for
each site involving producers, traders and input suppliers
– Design packages of tested and evaluated interventions that address
site-specific challenges confirmed by quantitative VCA;
– Develop an evaluation framework and specific indicators for
monitoring the performance of the target value chains considering
technical performance, economic viability and potential welfare
impacts, including food security, for women and other smallholder
producers and value chain actors resulting from the set of piloted
packages.
Major activities by components (cont.)

12. c) Facilitation of an enabling environment for value chain
transformation and for upscaling interventions
– Engage stakeholders and R&D actors in a VCT alliance through
national stakeholder workshop;
– Develop a partnership strategy to identify critical partners in
developing and implementing interventions and a enabling
institutional and policy environment, with a view to longer
term adoption and scaling out of promising results;
– Design a targeted capacity development program for value
chain actors and research partners based on need assessment.
– Conduct a feasibility study for outscaling tested approaches
and interventions within Ethiopia and to other SSA countries.
Major activities by components (cont.)

13. d) Design and implementation of data knowledge
management systems for documenting and sharing
evidence, outputs and lessons as a basis for scaling up.
– Develop a strategy for communication and knowledge
sharing, including communication materials that effectively
package outputs and lessons for key target audiences;
– Establish data and knowledge management system for
ensuring continued access to data and lessons from the
project.
Major activities by components (cont.)

14. Schedule of key activities
Key activities Year 1
(03/2015-02/2016)
Year 2
(03/2016-02/2017)
Year 3
(03/2017-02/2018)
Implement site-specific combinations of
production and marketing interventions
based on rapid VCA
M1
Monitoring and Evaluation/Annual review
and planning workshops conducted through
L&F
M2 M2 M2
Prepare report on in-depth VCA and revise
intervention plans if indicated by results
M3
Document evidence and lessons for
individual interventions and site-specific
packages, and prepare scaling up strategy
M4 M6 M7
Engage stakeholders in reviewing prioritized
interventions and in designing intervention
packages at a regional stakeholder meeting
M5
Participatory training and capacity building
Conduct a feasibility study for outscaling M8

15. CGIAR is a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food secure future. The CGIAR
Research Program on Livestock and Fish aims to increase the productivity of small-scale livestock and fish systems
in sustainable ways, making meat, milk and fish more available and affordable across the developing world.
CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish
livestockfish.cgiar.org