Addis Presentation of the concept note

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Sustainable intensification of crop-livestock systems to improve food security and farm income diversification in the Ethiopian highlands Project Design Workshop 30 January - 2 February 2012, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Presentation: Hypotheses behind the Ethiopian Highlands component of the project (Shirley Tarawali)


This workshop provides an opportunity for a broad group of important stakeholders to both learn about the project plans and to share their views on expectations from and opportunities for synergies with the project (days 1 and 2) and for the core project team to finalize the project details (days 3 and 4).


  • Context: catalyse and promote synergies, leverage opportunities with research and development action = ALIGN with e.g. Feed the Future initiative, CAADP, major agric dev programmes in the country;
  • Preps: planning meeting, core team for concept note, shared on line (blog with around 40 comments);
  • project design workshop to explore alignment opportunities, input in project concept, planning next steps;
  • Key messages: lots of people depend on SI in Ethiopian highlands - liveliholds are complex.
  • SI is multi-dimensional: where are advantages? Our focus? Interactions? Synergies?
  • Livelihoods are complex: lots of crops being grown - sometimes on the same field - for consumption, market, residues for animal feed, soil fertility, construction, fuel.
  • Animals are a key and integral part of these farming systems and they have different roles: dairy or meat cattle, emergency cash commodity etc.
  • Animals & crops: traction, crop residues, manure, sales for inputs.
  • In the past we did some disconnected research: on crops in one area, on livestock in another one: we want to add together the best research products to impact on integrated systems;
  • What to do?

Identify dual purpose cereals and legumes for good grains and fodder; Combine feeds (breed, health and delivery); Combine manure and fertilizer / water management;

  • We need KM and capacity development into the value chain work - and look at existing markets and development projects + enabling policies and nest our work in the ongoing work and initiatives.
  • Our focus areas: connecting with ongoing initiatives, pathways, adding technologies and looking at trade-offs - we work along four main hypotheses;
  • Project overview / key messages.