Community-based small ruminant breeding programs (CBBPs) in Ethiopia have successfully improved the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through genetic selection. CBBPs involve local communities from the start and rely on farmers' participation, ownership, and decision making. This approach has led to increased productivity, income, and food security for over 2000 households in 23 villages. Major outcomes include reversing negative selection trends, 20% higher average incomes, and more families consuming meat regularly. CBBPs are now expanding to other areas of Ethiopia and several other African countries as an effective low-cost method to boost small ruminant production in small-scale agricultural systems.

1. Community-based small ruminant breeding programs: Attractive and
innovative approach to changing the lives of smallholders in low input
systems
Background
In the past, breeding programs in developing countries—in
particular for small ruminants—have often remained unsuccessful.
A new approach—community-based breeding program (CBBP)—has
been suggested as an alternative to the conventional centrally
managed and top-down breeding programs. Programs that adopt
this strategy take into account farmers’ needs, views, decisions, and
active participation, from inception to implementation, and their
success is based upon proper consideration of farmers’ breeding
objectives, infrastructure, participation, and ownership. Sheep and
goat CBBPs implemented by ICARDA and partners in different
locations in Ethiopia have been found successful.
Basic components of CBBP
• Characterization of the population and production systems
• Definition of breeding objectives
• Simulation of alternative breeding plans
• Development of breeding structures
• Data recording and management
• Institutional arrangements
• Dissemination models for the improved genetics
Major outcomes and impact of CBBP
to date in Ethiopia
Outcomes
• 2000 households with more than 12,000 people in 23 villages
directly benefiting from the scheme
• ‘Negative selection’ reversed
• Productivity increased (more births, better growth (annual genetic
progress of 0.4 kg/year for 6-month weight) and reduced mortality)
• More than 25 functional cooperatives established
• Eight PhD, nine MSc, and thousands of livestock keepers trained
Impact
• Sheep production has become a main line of business for breeders
• Increased income (average of 20%) from CBBP in Bonga, Horro and
Menz
• Increased mutton consumption (now average of 3 sheep slaughtered
per family per year compared to 1 at project start) in Bonga, Horro
and Menz
• High demand for breeding rams, particularly in Bonga
• Most of the participating households in Menz graduated from the
government-run safety net program
• Most of the established cooperatives have been able to build capital
(e.g. Boka-Shuta cooperative has a capital of about USD 60,000)
CBBPs taking off in Africa
Where? When? Institute leading Donor
Afar, Bonga, Horro, Menz
sheep
Since 2007 ICARDA, ILRI, BOKU,
NARS
ADA
Bonga expansion Since 2012 SARI, ICARDA, ILRI South Regional
Government, Ethiopia
Horro, Menz Since 2012 ARARI, OARI, ICARDA,
ILRI
Livestock and Fish CRP,
ARARI, OARI
Atsbi, Doyogena Since 2012 SARI, TARI, ICARDA,
ILRI
Livestock and Fish CRP,
TARI, OARI
Central highland goats,
Gonder-maksegnit
watershed
Since 2013 ARARI, ICARDA ADA, IFAD, ARARI
Woyto-Guji, central
highland (Ambo),
Abergelle goats
2011-2014 ARARI, SARI, TARI,
OARI, ILRI
SIDA-Sweden
Abergelle Since 2015 ARARI, TARI, ICARDA,
ILRI
Livestock and Fish CRP,
TARI, ARARI
Bansa (Sidama), Merab
Abaya (Gamo-Gofa)
goats
Since 2015 SARI, ILRI (LIVES) SARI, ILRI (LIVES)
Abera, Gumer sheep Since 2012 SARI SARI
Malawi and Uganda Since 2014 National systems in
Uganda and Malawi
Feed the future-AGIN,
USDA
About nine countries Plan to start 2017 Governments, AGIN
project
Conclusions
CBBPs are an attractive innovation for low-input systems as they are easy to implement
in local communities and require little funding compared to nucleus schemes. CBBPs
provide good prospects for genetic improvement of small ruminants, thereby changing
the lives of the poor.
This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License June 2016
7th Africa Agriculture Science Week, Kigali, Rwanda, 13-16 June 2016
Contact: Barbara Rischkowsky (b.rischkowsky@cgiar.org) and Aynalem Haile
(a.haile@cgiar.org)