Figure: Local Sheep Market – Ethiopia

CGIAR April 8 2024

In Ethiopia, an innovative and easy-to-use digital tool (DTREO) has helped Community-Based Breeding Programs (CBBPs) transform the lives of thousands of goat and sheep breeders through data collection that supports more informed decisions on selecting superior males for breeding and access to new market opportunities. DTREO is now being introduced and pilot-tested by ICARDA to establish and optimize management as well as sheep and goat breeding programs in Jordan, Tunisia, and Mali.

Sheep and goat breeding plays a vital socioeconomic role in the agricultural sector across Central and West Asia, and North Africa (CWANA) and beyond, providing valuable resources such as meat, milk, and wool. However, insufficient, or ill-adapted breeding programs and practices are compromising the conservation and improvement of animal genetic resources, resulting in lower quality and less productive herds, which in turn impacts farmers’ incomes and livelihoods.

To address these issues, the CBBPs supported by ICARDA and its partners focus on empowering farmers to improve selection methods without undermining indigenous breeds’ resilience and genetic integrity, and without pricey interventions.

The collection, management, and analysis of data through the user-friendly app DTREO is key to the success of the programs. In collaboration with Abacus Bio (New Zealand), CGIAR Sustainable Animal Productivity (SAPLING) initiative, the Accelerating the Impact of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project, and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), ICARDA has been working on expanding and sustaining DTREO for ongoing and newly established CBBPs across Ethiopia.

See https://www.cgiar.org/news-events/news/503002/