In a recent Africa-Australia Partnership livestock stakeholder workshop held in Accra, Ghana, participants identified improving the resilience of feed systems, animal health and water access as the most urgent priorities for farmers in the region.
These priorities emerged when experts from Australia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal gathered to shape the next phase of collaborative research and investment for the region's livestock sector.
The workshop is part of the six-year Africa-Australia Partnership, an initiative of the Australian Government led by ACIAR, to strengthen climate resilience and agricultural systems through collaborative research across Africa.
It included West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), national research systems in Ghana and Nigeria and universities working across the livestock value chain.
Opening the workshop, Australia's Head of Mission to Ghana, H.E. Berenice Owen-Jones, emphasised the importance of shared global learning in confronting climate threats to agriculture.
'Climate change is placing increasing pressure on agricultural systems everywhere,' said the High Commissioner Owen-Jones. 'By bringing together African leadership, local knowledge and Australian research expertise, this partnership is about co-creating strategic solutions that strengthen climate-resilient livestock systems and deliver tangible benefits for farmers and rural communities.'
Climate pressures reveal profound systemic challenges
Throughout discussions, participants highlighted a network of linked challenges threatening livestock production.
Climate stressors, including drought, heat stress and shifting disease patterns, are worsening long-standing structural barriers like feed availability and quality, weak veterinary services, limited infrastructure and market volatility.
A decrease in the size of available grazing lands due to competition from other uses and policy shifts around livestock mobility are also reshaping pastoral systems across the region, sometimes fuelling tensions between farmers and herders.
Gender dynamics also play a role. Women, who frequently manage small ruminants and poultry, often face persistent constraints in labour, access to information and finance.
Through a participatory process involving presentations, breakout sessions and structured voting, stakeholders worked together to identify the research priorities with the greatest potential to strengthen climate resilience within the next three to four years.
The process resulted in three priority areas:
- Improving year-round access to quality livestock feed and fodder
- Strengthening animal health and genetics
- Expanding water access and management for livestock production
These priorities were recognised as the central leverage points for stabilising livestock productivity while building resilience to climate shocks and will guide future research investments under the Africa-Australia Partnership.
Local knowledge crucial for lasting solutions
Beyond technological innovation, experts emphasised that sustainable livestock solutions must be based on the realities of pastoral and smallholder systems.
Dr Hussein Tadicha Wario, the Executive Director of the Center for Research and Development in Drylands (CRDD), emphasised that pastoral communities possess deep adaptive knowledge which must be recognised within climate resilience strategies.
'Pastoralists are not simply coping with climate variability, rather they are highly skilled managers of uncertainty,' said Dr Wario. 'Their mobility systems, ecological knowledge and social networks are critical assets for resilience. If research and policy fail to work with these systems, they risk overlooking some of the most effective adaptation strategies already in practice.'
Regional collaboration vital for transformation
For regional organisations, the discussions reinforced the need for coordinated action across countries.
Dr Moumini Savadogo, the Executive Director at CORAF, said regional collaboration will be crucial to unlocking the livestock sector's potential.
'Climate change is affecting livestock systems across West Africa in similar ways,' said Dr Savadogo. 'Strengthening feed systems, safeguarding resilient indigenous breeds, and improving herd health will require stronger regional research collaboration and policies that support climate-smart livestock development.
Participants also highlighted the critical role of partnerships linking research institutions, governments, farmers and international organisations in creating lasting impact.
'ACIAR's role is to bring together the best science, regional expertise and farmer knowledge to tackle the most pressing agricultural challenges,' said ACIAR Research Program Manager Ms Zita Ritchie. 'The priorities identified here will help shape targeted research investments that strengthen climate resilience, boost livestock productivity and support sustainable livelihoods across West Africa.'
Learn more about the Africa-Australia Partnership.
