The LIVES project aims to enhance the economic well-being of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia by transforming subsistence agriculture into market-oriented livestock and irrigated crop production. Supported by the Canadian International Development Agency, it focuses on capacity development, knowledge management, and the adoption of gender-sensitive, environmentally sustainable practices across ten target zones. Ultimately, the project seeks to contribute to increased income and equitable wealth creation for male and female smallholders through improved value chains.

1. Introduction to
Livestock and Irrigation Value chains for Ethiopian
Smallholders (LIVES) Project
Azage Tegegne
LIVES Research Planning Workshop
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 26-28 March 2013

2. LIVES Project
• An ILRI research for development project implemented
with IWMI, MoA and EIAR in partnership with Amhara,
Tigray, Oromia and SNNP Regional States
• Supported for 6 years by a our development partner –
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
• Focuses on challenging high value, market-oriented
livestock and irrigated crop Commodities

3. WHY LIVES?
• In line with GoE – GTP aim of transforming subsistence to
more market oriented small holder agriculture.
• Potential for scaling out of piloted innovative approaches
and interventions in large scale development project
(HABP, AGP, LMDP, SLM)
• As seen in GTP and from the lesson learned by ILRI/IPMS
and IWMI, livestock and irrigated agriculture are high
value commodities with huge potential and promise to
transform smallholders from subsistence to market-
orientation

4. Goal and Ultimate outcome
Goal
• To contribute to environmentally sustainable, enhanced income
and gender equitable wealth creation for smallholders and other
value chains actors through increased and sustained market-off-
take of high value livestock and irrigated crop commodities.
Ultimate Outcome
• Increased economic well-being for male and female smallholder
producers in 30 districts in 10 target Zones in Amhara, Oromia,
Tigray, and SNNPR through the development of livestock and
irrigated value chains

5. LIVES Project Zones

6. Intermediate Outcomes
• Increased use of improved knowledge and capacity by
male and female livestock and irrigated agriculture value
chain actors and service providers to develop gender
sensitive and environmentally friendly sustainable
market-oriented livestock and irrigated value chains.
• Increased adoption of gender sensitive and
environmentally sustainable market-oriented value
chain interventions by male and female livestock and
irrigated agriculture value chain actors and service
providers.

7. LIVES Objectives
• Introduction/adaptation of tested and new value chain interventions for
targeted value chains/areas (value chain development)
• Capacity development of value chain actors, service providers and
educational institutions (capacity development)
• Introduction/adaptation of tested and new knowledge management
interventions in support of value chain development (knowledge
management)
• Generation and documentation of new knowledge on value chain
interventions through diagnosis, action and impact research studies (action
research)
• Promotion of knowledge generated for scaling out beyond the project areas
(promotion for scaling out)

8. Project Focus
Commodities:
• Livestock (dairy, beef, sheep and goats, poultry,
apiculture) and high value irrigated crops
(vegetables, fruits, fodder)
Geographical:
• Ten (10) zones with clusters of Districts
producing selected commodities

9. Commodities by Zone
Small Irrigated
Zone Dairy (8) Beef (4) ruminant Poultry (7) Apiculture agriculture
(6) (5) (10)
Eastern Tigray x x x x
Central Tigray x x x x
West Gojam x x x x
North Gondar x x x x
South Wello x x x x
East Shoa x x x x
West Shoa x x x x
Jimma x x x x
Gamo Gofa x x x x
Sidama x x x x

10. Value Chain Development
A Long VC
G AG - Agribusiness
Fed/Reg
A F - Farmer
G
Short VC
A A A A
G G G G
District
F F F F
D1 D1 D2 D3
IPMS LIVES

11. What are the possible interventions?
• Technological: eg. seeds, animal genetics, drugs,
fertilizers, pumps, e-readers, computers
• Organizational: eg. organizational forms (public,
private, individual, cooperative, government, PLCs)
• Institutional: eg. rules & regulations, behavior, linkages

12. Capacity Development
Strengthening capacity public sector staff through
MSc/BSc education
In service training based on TOT/BDS approach: regional –
zone/district (eg)
 Rapid value chain assessment to identify potential interventions -
teams
 Participatory market oriented extension – extension staff
 Gender mainstreaming – extension staff
 Knowledge management – extension staff
 Results based monitoring – specialist staff
 Irrigation technologies – specialist staff
 Irrigated crop value chain development – specialist staff
 Livestock value chain development – specialist staff

13. Knowledge Management
Federal level
– Strengthening EAP
– National learning events/conferences
– Video production
– e-extension
Regional/zonal/District level
– Knowledge center development
– Learning events/conferences/workshops
– Study tours
– Exhibitions
– Field days
– New IT technologies

14. Research LIVES
Rapid assessment of value chains and
public support services
Value chain interventions on supply/production Knowledge Mngt and
of inputs, production/processing/marketing of capacity development
outputs interventions
Learning Learning
Diagnosis Action Impact
RESEARCH/STUDIES

15. Promotion for scaling up
• Facilitate project visits by key policy makers and donors
• Participation in government/non- government national, regional
learning platforms, conferences and workshops
• Use of mass media
• Publications
• Newsletters
• Promotional materials
• Leveraging new investment into value chain development.

16. Direct value chain beneficiaries -LIVES
Input
Output Trader/
Producer/
Producer Processor
Supplier
POLICY
Research Education
Public Support Services

17. Indirect beneficiaries
• Producers and service providers in
AGP, HABP, PSNP programs through (joint)
capacity development, field visits, learning
events.
• Producers and service providers in adjoining
districts which form part of natural clusters –
milk shed, irrigation schemes and watersheds
through learning events, capacity development
and field visits.

18. Gender in VC development
• Greater involvement of women (female
headed HH, married women) in value chain
development
– Involvement in capacity development and
knowledge management activities
– Targeting women for commodities and specific vc
interventions
– Use of women friendly technologies (modern hives,
mechanized/conservation tillage)
– Women involvement in cooperative structure and
water user groups

19. Environment in VC development
• Integrated in knowledge capacity development
and knowledge management interventions
• Assessment of environmental impact and
mitigating measures and synergies –
highlighted in livestock and crop value chain
interventions

20. Project Management
• Coordinating Team – (MoA, EIAR, LIVES, IWMI)
• Steering Committee –
(MoA, MoWE, EIAR, BoA, BoWE, LA, LIVES, IWMI,
CIDA)
• Regional Project Implementation Committee
(RPIC)
• Project staffing – HQ, Regional, Zonal
• Counterpart staff at Federal, Regional and Zonal

21. Partnerships
MoA
MoWE EIAR
RARIs
Livestock
Agencies Univ
LIVES
BoWE CGIAR
Dev’t
Projects Farmers, Private CIDA
Coops, CBOs Sector

22. www.lives-ethiopia.org