ICARDA's community-based breeding features on CGIAR 50 Campaign
ICARDA’s Community Based Breeding programs are made possible through the partnership of country and regional authorities and with funding from World Bank, the Ethiopian government, and the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Livestock.
ICARDA joins CGIAR in celebrating 50 years of innovations and scientific breakthroughs to end hunger and improve human, animal, and ecosystem health under escalating climate challenges and this week sees Community Based Breeding Programs featured in the yearlong campaign.
Smallholder livestock breeders are typically unable to apply modern breeding methods to their small flocks of sheep and goats so CGIAR researchers at ICARDA and the CRP Livestock have developed sustainable livestock community-based breeding programs that focus on indigenous breeds, increasing their productivity and profitability.
Community-based breeding programs in Ethiopia have improved the livelihood of more than 5,000 households by generating an average 20% increase in farmers’ incomes.