馃嚜馃嚬EthiopiaEast Africa
Ethiopia's agricultural research system fails pastoral areas despite their livestock wealth and drought resilience potential
via The Reporter Ethiopia9 min read
Ethiopia's lowlands and pastoral areas, rich in livestock and potential for drought resilience, have been marginalized within the national agricultural research system for decades. This neglect leaves pastoral communities vulnerable to drought and disease, hindering national productivity and food security. A joint review by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research EIAR and the House of Peoples' Representatives Standing Committee highlighted the need to reorient research from a "highland-centered" approach to one grounded in lowland ecology and pastoral realities. This requires sustained budgets, improved facilities, and effective technology delivery. Current research models fail due to remote, underfunded sites, high staff turnover, and a "highland bias" in technology development. To build climate-resilient research, Ethiopia must stabilize human resources, upgrade laboratories, reorient research towards resilience and mobility, establish dependable financing, and strengthen markets and value addition. Transforming these research centers into engines of development requires policy changes, affirmative action budgeting, targeted investment, and a shift to livestock-centered solutions that integrate indigenous knowledge with modern science. Securing land rights for research centers is also crucial for long-term resilience. Tekleyohannes Berhanu, a senior researcher and Director of Pastoral Areas Technology Promotion Directorate at EIAR, contributed to this perspective.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
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