The CCAFS Regional Program for Southeast Asia (CCAFS-SEA) organized a convergence meeting involving CGIAR CCAFS focal persons and selected partners on 11-13 December 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. About 24 participants from collaborating CGIAR Consortium Centers (Bioversity, CIAT, CIP, ICRISAT, IFPRI, IRRI, IWMI, World Agro-Forestry Center and WorldFish Center), CCAFS-SEA and selected partners participated in this undertaking. The main purpose of this activity was to establish the groundwork for collaborative work on climate change R4D among Centers in SEA.

In November 2011 the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) held its first Independent Science Panel meeting in Colombia.

This study aimed at understanding of existing sheep breeding practices, identifying sheep breeding goals and characterizing the morphological and biometrical characters of Menz and Afar sheep breeds in their habitat as a step towards developing sustainable sheep breeding strategy. The study was conducted by implementing single visit questionnaire, observing and recording of sheep morphological characters, and by recording body weight and body measurements. The survey revealed that the mean sheep flock size per household was 31.6 in Menz and 23.0 in Afar area.

Livestock characterization projects in developing regions are characterized by a mere physical description of traditionally recognized populations or a purely academic genetic description of populations. However, characterization of livestock resources is meant to serve the purpose of developing conservation and utilization programs. A national characterization project should be geared to the specific national livestock production objectives.

This study was conducted in Mieso district in western Hararghe Zone of Oromia Regional State to characterize milk production and marketing system and identify opportunity for market orientation. This study was initiated with the objectives of generating baseline data in the area of milk production and marketing system. The study was undertaken in five purposely selected rural kebeles of Mieso district; and these were Dire-kalu, Welda-jejeba, Hunde-misoma, Gena, and Huse-mendera.

Pastoral populations of sub-Saharan Africa are particularly vulnerable to losses in wealth and productive assets via herdmortality shocks. Although conventional insurance mechanisms covering individual losses are not cost effective in low income extensive grazing pastoral communities, index insurance for livestock offers a promising alternative.

The study was conducted in Bure District of the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) with objectives of characterizing the milk production & marketing systems and evaluating the effect of feed supplementation on milk yield & milk composition of local cows. A single-visitmultiple- subject survey was used to collect data on milk production & marketing systems. A total of 181 milk households were individually interviewed.

A study on characterization of cattle milk and meat production, processing and marketing system was conducted in Metema district based on data collected between September and October, 2006. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select representative kebles and households from CBFS, SBFS and Gendawuha town. A total of 270 households were randomly selected using systematic random sampling method.

Amhara Region

This report contains information on a rapid field assessment of Boran pastoralists of southern
Ethiopia to: (1) gauge local communities’ perceptions of the need for local climate change
adaptation strategies and their degree of satisfaction with existing interventions; (2) identify
emerging climate risk adaptation strategies; and (3) evaluate how existing and new strategies
including efforts by non-governmental organizations and the Ethiopian government might
complement or be compromised by index-based livestock insurance (IBLI).