Presented by Gezahegn Alemayehu, Tsega Berhe, Eyob Gelan, Mulugeta Mokria and Rebecca Doyle at a training and knowledge exchange workshop on animal welfare, Halaba, Ethiopia, 1-2 September 2021.
Silvopastoralism and welfare of farmed animals in Ethiopia
1. Better lives through livestock
Silvopastoralism and Welfare of Farmed
Animals in Ethiopia
Gezahegn Alemayehu, Tsega Berhe, Eyob Gelan, Mulugeta Mokria and Rebecca Doyle
Training and Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Animal Welfare, Halaba , Ethiopia
1-2 September 2021
2. 2
Improved farmed animal welfare for one wellbeing
Protecting the welfare of farmed animals has
entered the public policy mainstream in many
countries.
Formal animal welfare legislation remains largely
absent in many countries inc. Ethiopia.
Animal welfare is increasingly recognized as
important ‘beyond animal’.
3. 3
Improved farm animal welfare cont.
There is a strong link between animal welfare,
human wellbeing and the environment.
The academic, advocacy and policy debates on
these issues have remained notably
disconnected.
Policy debates mainly revolve around the
concepts of animal health and welfare but not
on their synergies between these important
societal priorities.
4. 4
The 5 freedom for Animals
Freedom from discomfort and exposure
5. 5
Synergizing animal welfare with agroforestry for sustainable
development
Agroforestry has proven
potentials to improve animal
welfare and human wellbeing
6. 6
Farm Animal welfare challenges in Ethiopia
Agro-silvopastoral is getting a global recognition as it directly
contributes to the four (4) principles of animal welfare:
8. 8
Generating evidence -Welfare assessment
• Feed and water resource
• Housing
• Husbandry practices
• Environmental
• Health services
Resource based
indicators
• Body Condition Score
• Youngstock mortality
• Social withdrawal
• Excessive itching
• Wool cleanliness
• Respiratory problems
• Lameness
Animal based
indictors
Welfare
indicators
9. 9
Feed resource
0 50 100
Improved forages
Natural grasses/pasture
Hay
Straws/crop residue
Grains/concentrates
Root crops
Vegetable residue
%
feed
type
good access limited access
Freedom from
malnutrition???
10. 10
Husbandry
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
In the stable
Within the fence
On my private grazing land
On communal grazing land
Walking to/between fields
In the forest (non-cultivated)
In the forest (cultivated)
Total Humbo Dugda
22. 22
Knowledge, Attitude and practice
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
It is important to assess the health and welfare of my
animals every day
Animals have feelings just like humans.
My animals are happy and healthy
Animals need to feel safe in my care if they are to be
happy and healthy
The way I care for my animals doesn’t affect how they
grow/produce
Untreated injuries are bad for the wellbeing and
productivity of my animals
Without enough water, my animals will not grow as well
or produce as much milk
Animals cannot suffer from physical pain
pastoral mixed
23. 23
Knowledge, Attitude and practice
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
My animals get enough feed every day
Having the ability to graze freely is important for my
animals
My animals need sufficient, clean and comfortable area
to lie down.
I am confident getting my animals to move where I
want
My animals will learn more from being hit than
instructed.
I cannot influence how healthy my animals are
My animals are happy and healthy
It is important to me that I care for my animals well
pastoral Mixed
24. 24
Knowledge, Attitude and practice
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%
I need to beat my animals to get them to do what
I want
I consult with a trained health service provider
when my animal is sick or injured
My animals can drink water whenever they want
It is common for my adult animals to get sick
My animals are exposed to heat or kept in poor
housing
Some of my animals suffer from lameness
pastoral mixed
25. 25
Advocating good animal welfare
Advocating good animal welfare for professionals, students, farming and
policy community to foster positive attitudes.
The welfare of farmed animals needs to mainstreamed in public policy and
integrated current government green legacy tree plating project.
Animal welfare legislation need to articulate the emergent concerns for the
relationship between human and animal health and welfare
26. 26
Behavioral change
Training for experts and extension agents
Community conversation
Famers’ days to visit best practices
Animal welfare working group
Community of practice at lower level
27. 27
Investing on good animal welfare
Farmer-centered knowledge and skill-hub
Context specific, evidence driven, practice oriented and
cost-effective innovation to improve farmed animal welfare
Extension system structure and policy framework/roadmap.
Option by context and objective-based regreening &
agroforestry practices in all development endeavors
28. 28
Scaling up
Documenting best practices and cost-effectiveness
of the intervention
The opportunities and trade-offs of
slivopastoralsim systems can be promoted in a way
that ensures the benefits to animals, farmers and
the environment.
Scaling up to other potential sites.
Imbedded into national extension system
29. 29
Concluding remark
Livelihood oriented:
1. Poverty and Hunger
2. Inequity (rights, gender, access)
3. Malnutrition and human health
4. Energy scarcity
Animal welfare oriented
1. Feeding and nutrition
2. poor housing/shelter
3. Animal health service
4. Stresses
Landscape (environment) oriented:
1. Land degradation & Climate change
2. Deforestation and habitat loss
3. Water scarcity
4. Biodiversity loss
1. Context specific; evidence driven,
practice-oriented solutions for all
development intervention.
2. Objective based restoration or
regreening practices.
3. Silvopasture practices as power for
promoting agroforestry practices and
restoration of degraded areas so that
the animal welfare and productivity
will get ensured sustainably
By
using
“one welfare” in which the health or welfare of humans, ecosystems and individual animals are viewed as one
The world’s cows, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and other farm animals are essential to the well-being of some one billion people living in chronic poverty, hunger and undernutrition.
unsustainable livestock production systems can degrade lands and waters, speed global warming and put public health at risk.
Most of the house are built to protect from predators not to protect bad weather condition