An innovative methodology and tool for livestock surveys in Sub-Saharan Africa

WHAT IS THE HUMANITARIAN NEED?

The lack of reliable zootechnical data on traditional livestock farming in Sub-Saharan countries to allow proper monitoring and impact assessment of major crisis and/or of a program on livestock based livelihoods

WHAT IS THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION?

Creating a software for zootechnical monitoring adapted to traditional livestock farming in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Added Value:

1. Such a tool doesn’t exist yet.
2. The development of the methodology is based on a participatory process including the lessons learnt during more than fifteen years of field experience in the livestock sector.

In the first phase (invention) of the project, the main activities are:

• the adaptation of the various tools for their integration into the software
• the development of the methodological documents
• an internal testing.

In the second phase (diffusion) are foreseen:

• the training of local trainers
• the testing of the tools on a larger scale (under the ongoing projects) and
• the use of observations and proposed amendments.

WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES?

This innovative tool (software) would allow the reaching of the following impacts:

• Obtain a realistic estimation of the effects of a crisis on livestock (natural disasters, locust invasions, conflicts …);
• Assess the impact of different types of actions conducted at the farmer’s level (effects on animal performance of family cattle and therefore food and economic security of households) and allow technical or strategic adjustments;
• Contribute to a better understanding of data related to livestock by the state technical services and the technical and financial partners;
• Establish a database of reference to assist in identifying new actions in small scale livestock development in similar agro-ecological zones.