This document discusses an approach for smallholder market oriented agricultural development in Ethiopia. It outlines various interventions including commodity-based value chain development, knowledge management, capacity development, genetic improvement of livestock, feed and fodder services, seedling production, innovation systems, and research and documentation. Selected outputs so far include capacity building workshops for 900 actors, supporting university education for 80 staff, establishing 36 agricultural knowledge centers, publishing project information online and in reports, and engaging in promotional events. Baseline data was also collected from 5000 households.

1. An approach for smallholder market oriented agricultural development
LIVES Lives-ethiopia@cgiar.org ● P.O. Box 5689 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ● Tel +251 116 172000 ● www.ilri.org Funding: Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD)
This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution –Non commercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported Licence October 2014
Challenges and opportunities
image
Commodity based value chain development
Knowledge management
Promotion/scaling out
Capacity development
Documentation
Value chain development
Agricultural knowledge centers at districts and zones
E-book readers for extension experts
Exhibition and fairs, milk day celebrations
Couples (husband and wife) training
Household coaching & mentoring
Field days, Blog stories, brochures and flyers
Genetic improvement
•Oestrus synchronization
•Mass Artificial insemination
•Mobile team
Feed and fodder
•Private fodder chopping services
•Commercial fodder services
Seedling production
•Private nurseries for fruit and vegetables
•Commercial rate
Fattening large ruminants
•Establishing marketing groups
•Facilitating Linkage with consumer associations
Innovation systems interventions
Research and documentation
 Baseline study using Computers assisted personal interviewers (CAPI)
Diagnostic and action research studies by:
•LIVES staff
•LIVES and partner organization staff
•MSc students
Produce short blog stories and various reports
The LIVES approach-market oriented agricultural development
Selected outputs and outcomes to date
•Carried out capacity development training workshops on basic business skills, value chain development, gender mainstreaming and knowledge management for about 900 value chain actors in the project sites
•Supported tuition fees of 80 public sector staff to pursue their MSc/BSc education in national universities
•Established and operationalized 36 agricultural knowledge centers at district and zone levels
•Developed and operationalized project website
•Published 101 blog stories on different commodity value chains and institutional interventions
•Took part in about 120 events to promote LIVES project approaches and interventions at national, regional, zonal and district levels
•Produced a working paper on ‘Butter Value Chain in Ethiopia’
•Food insecurity and subsistence based farming remain major challenges for more than 80% of Ethiopia’s rural population
•Livestock and irrigated agriculture produce high value commodities with huge untapped potential and promise to transform smallholders from subsistence to market oriented farming
Region
Livestock value chains only
Irrigated Crops value chains only
Both Livestock & Irrigated value chains
Total
Amhara
21
9
30
60
Tigray
29
5
17
51
SNNP
8
11
31
50
Oromia
38
9
28
75
Total
96
34
106
236
Table: Number of Peasant Associations in which value chain interventions have been introduced
Irrigated forage seed production
New variety of popcorn for smallholders
•Produced conference proceedings on project approaches and ongoing interventions
•Collected baseline data from 5000 households
•Supported 24 student theses research projects