Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN-SDGs) in Africa, livestock breeding efficiency is a prerequisite. Human capital in the form of professional, managerial, and technical skills, improved policies and institutional operation are the key enablers of performance for...

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Autores principales: Tiambo, Christian K., Opoola, O., Okpeku, M., Houaga, I., Touko, B.A.H., Dessie, Tadelle
Formato: Capítulo de libro
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Springer 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/177534
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author Tiambo, Christian K.
Opoola, O.
Okpeku, M.
Houaga, I.
Touko, B.A.H.
Dessie, Tadelle
author_browse Dessie, Tadelle
Houaga, I.
Okpeku, M.
Opoola, O.
Tiambo, Christian K.
Touko, B.A.H.
author_facet Tiambo, Christian K.
Opoola, O.
Okpeku, M.
Houaga, I.
Touko, B.A.H.
Dessie, Tadelle
author_sort Tiambo, Christian K.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN-SDGs) in Africa, livestock breeding efficiency is a prerequisite. Human capital in the form of professional, managerial, and technical skills, improved policies and institutional operation are the key enablers of performance for the smallholder livestock sector. Capacity building is central to guarantee African livestock efficiency along the value chains and ultimately transformed livelihoods. Currently, animal breeding and genetic improvement in Africa are constrained by a serious human and institutional capacity gap. The Livestock Development Strategy for Africa (LiDESA) seeks to transform the livestock sector for accelerated and equitable growth and for enhanced contribution to socio-economic development. Sustainable livestock development in Africa could be better realized through the development of customized capacity building strategies targeting (1) relevant participatory breeding education, hands-on training, efficient technical assistance, and collaborations / partnerships aiming to address farmers’ present and future challenges, (2) enabling breeding systems for sustainable productivity, resilience of breeds, and animal seed stock management, and (3) market-led breeding solutions that are attractive for the younger and future generations. Challenges facing capacity building in livestock breeding in Africa vary between and within stakeholders of specific value chains, and farmers lack training and suitable support programmes for their breeding activities. Beyond the lack of skilled human resources, financial capacity to enforce legislation and policies in Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) that may lead to the design and implementation of conservation and breeding programmes is a major limiting factor in most African countries. Currently, animal breeding programmes may not thrive, unless a new cohort of breeders, infrastructures, and policies are in place and backed by long-term investment plans. The main loopholes of the desired revolution reside in the current gaps and limitations of higher education and professional trainings, in terms of human resources, infrastructure, curricular content, research, and cooperation. The required capacity development could also be through people-centred community-based breeding programmes (CBBP), training of trainers, and continuous education with major inputs/roles by agricultural training institutions (e.g. Pan African University), the African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Genetics Resources (AU-IBAR) and the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet), in the form of collaborations for teaching, research, and outreach. Key capacity building intervention areas needing attention are: (1) Conservation and restoration of local animal genetic diversity, their improvement and dissemination of elite locally adapted and farmers-preferred genetics, and preservation of their natural habitat; (2) Demand-led capacity development in modern livestock breeding techniques; (3) Sustainable intensification of livestock farming practices; (4) Adaptation to extreme environmental conditions and livestock emergency guidelines and standards (LEGS); (5) Breeding for animal welfare, adaptability, and biosafety; (6) Big Data and artificial intelligence for smart farming and livestock breeding programmes; and (7) Infrastructural development and policies’ integration for technology uptake.
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spelling CGSpace1775342025-12-08T10:06:44Z Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa Tiambo, Christian K. Opoola, O. Okpeku, M. Houaga, I. Touko, B.A.H. Dessie, Tadelle animal breeding capacity building development genetic improvement livestock To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (UN-SDGs) in Africa, livestock breeding efficiency is a prerequisite. Human capital in the form of professional, managerial, and technical skills, improved policies and institutional operation are the key enablers of performance for the smallholder livestock sector. Capacity building is central to guarantee African livestock efficiency along the value chains and ultimately transformed livelihoods. Currently, animal breeding and genetic improvement in Africa are constrained by a serious human and institutional capacity gap. The Livestock Development Strategy for Africa (LiDESA) seeks to transform the livestock sector for accelerated and equitable growth and for enhanced contribution to socio-economic development. Sustainable livestock development in Africa could be better realized through the development of customized capacity building strategies targeting (1) relevant participatory breeding education, hands-on training, efficient technical assistance, and collaborations / partnerships aiming to address farmers’ present and future challenges, (2) enabling breeding systems for sustainable productivity, resilience of breeds, and animal seed stock management, and (3) market-led breeding solutions that are attractive for the younger and future generations. Challenges facing capacity building in livestock breeding in Africa vary between and within stakeholders of specific value chains, and farmers lack training and suitable support programmes for their breeding activities. Beyond the lack of skilled human resources, financial capacity to enforce legislation and policies in Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) that may lead to the design and implementation of conservation and breeding programmes is a major limiting factor in most African countries. Currently, animal breeding programmes may not thrive, unless a new cohort of breeders, infrastructures, and policies are in place and backed by long-term investment plans. The main loopholes of the desired revolution reside in the current gaps and limitations of higher education and professional trainings, in terms of human resources, infrastructure, curricular content, research, and cooperation. The required capacity development could also be through people-centred community-based breeding programmes (CBBP), training of trainers, and continuous education with major inputs/roles by agricultural training institutions (e.g. Pan African University), the African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Genetics Resources (AU-IBAR) and the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet), in the form of collaborations for teaching, research, and outreach. Key capacity building intervention areas needing attention are: (1) Conservation and restoration of local animal genetic diversity, their improvement and dissemination of elite locally adapted and farmers-preferred genetics, and preservation of their natural habitat; (2) Demand-led capacity development in modern livestock breeding techniques; (3) Sustainable intensification of livestock farming practices; (4) Adaptation to extreme environmental conditions and livestock emergency guidelines and standards (LEGS); (5) Breeding for animal welfare, adaptability, and biosafety; (6) Big Data and artificial intelligence for smart farming and livestock breeding programmes; and (7) Infrastructural development and policies’ integration for technology uptake. 2025-11-01 2025-11-04T08:03:53Z 2025-11-04T08:03:53Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/177534 en Open Access application/pdf Springer Tiambo, C.K., Opoola, O., Okpeku, M., Houaga, I., Touko, B.A.H. and Dessie, T. 2025. Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa. IN: Ibeagha-Awemu, E.M., Peters, S.O., Djikeng, A. and Rege, J.E.O. (eds), African livestock genetic resources and sustainable breeding strategies: Unlocking a treasure trove and guide for improved productivity. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 1123–1148.
spellingShingle animal breeding
capacity building
development
genetic improvement
livestock
Tiambo, Christian K.
Opoola, O.
Okpeku, M.
Houaga, I.
Touko, B.A.H.
Dessie, Tadelle
Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa
title Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa
title_full Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa
title_fullStr Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa
title_full_unstemmed Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa
title_short Capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals for Africa
title_sort capacity building in livestock breeding and genetic improvement in achieving un sustainable development goals for africa
topic animal breeding
capacity building
development
genetic improvement
livestock
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/177534
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