In March 2022, The Africa LEDS Partnership (AfLP) officially launched a new Community of Practice on Livestock (Livestock CoP). The event was attended by a range of stakeholders across the African continent. During the event the AfLP, and the Livestock CoP core group members provided an overview of the Livestock CoP’s goals. The event was also an opportunity for participants to express their needs and desires and identify opportunities to work with the CoP.
During the event, AfLP Co-chair, Dr George Wamukoya (African Group of Negiotators Experts Support/AGNES) encouraged participants to participate actively and key areas that Africa should focus on. Wamukoya expressed his desire to see the Livestock building African expertise and delivering region-specific interventions to support the livestock sectors of countries across the continent.
A key issue raised during the event was the need for Africa’s response to climate change to be informed by the continent’s context. A key element which is particularly important for policy development within the livestock sector is the consideration for mitigation and adaptation co-benefits. This is important to reduce the climate vulnerability while ensuring the sector can improve food production to meet growing demands. However, it was also noted that there is a need for on-the-ground intervention to support paradigm shifts in the livestock sector in support of more sustainable livestock practices.
Going forward, it was suggested that the Livestock CoP focus on key priority areas to deliver real impact. Having strong links to the ground (through support of local NGOs and the private sector) and strong links to the policy level (through government entities) were seen as important to ensuring this happens. Stakeholders also suggested forming sub-regional CoPs which feed into a broader continent-wide CoP. This will help ensure the activities speak to regional needs while feeding into the broader goals of the CoP.
Next Steps for Livestock CoP:
Following the launch event, the secretariat and core group are in the process of developing a long-term workplan for the CoP. The core group will be meeting in July to workshop key activities and co-develop a proposal for funding support from key partners, New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC).
A key priority for the Livestock CoP in the coming months will be setting up regional forums, aimed to bring together stakeholders on the regional level to identify priorities and opportunities for implementation.
If you would like to join the AfLP Livestock CoP you can do so by completing the form below.
