The extent of crop residues and agricultural byproducts utilization for their integration in feeding systems in Eastern DR Congo was assessed in South-Kivu (Walungu territoire) and two territoires in the Tanganyika province (Kalemie and Moba territoires). Data were collected through 21 focus group discussions in which 273 farmers participated including respectively 116 (42%) from South Kivu and 157 (58%) from Tanganyika province. A logistic regression model was used to determine factors influencing the adoption of crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts as livestock feeds.

The livestock sector in Ethiopia is characterized by low productivity due to inadequate supply of affordable high-quality animal feed year-round, with more acute gaps in the drought-prone regions of the country. This paper presents the economic benefits and insights into the role of cultivated forages, such as densification into pellets, in bridging gaps in feed supply. Nutrient requirement calculations for feedlot and dairy animals and meeting those requirements using cultivated forage-based diets are presented.

Youth transitions to adulthood are becoming more complex around the world. The relative importance of key milestones that are used to describe the transition from youth to adulthood are culturally embedded and change across generations. Such life course events may include completing education, moving from school to the labour force, leaving home, marriage, and parenthood. In sub–Saharan Africa, agricultural and livestock assets are also culturally relevant and often critical to supporting major achievements in transitions.

Ruminants are central to the economic and nutritional life of much of sub-Saharan Africa, but cattle are now blamed for having disproportionately large negative environmental impact through (amongst other things) emissions of greenhouse gases. However, the exact mechanism behind these emissions is not well-understood and indeed accurate estimates themselves are lacking due to a paucity of reliable data.

Livestock production in Ethiopia has been constrained by feed shortage, low quality and seasonal fluctuations. The use of high-yielding, good quality and drought-tolerant forage legumes like alfalfa and vetch has been suggested to overcome the feed constraints. These forage legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen when being in symbiosis with rhizobia, but show variations in terms of N2-fixation, calling for exploring the best symbionts.

We conducted a preliminary value chain actors mapping for major crops grown and livestock kept by smallholder farmers in Mbire and Murehwa districts of Zimbabwe. Accordingly, in this report we mapped value chain actors for 11 crops and livestock commodities: namely, sorghum, cotton, sesame, maize, groundnut, sweet-potato, vegetables (tomato and onion), cattle, goats, poultry, and honey/beekeeping. Except sesame from Mbire, most of the crop and livestock commodities are channeled to the main markets in Harare and Marondera for Murehwa.