Climate change risks to the cattle value chain in Ethiopia: Findings, implications and adaptation options

Cattle production plays a significant role in Ethiopia’s economy and backs the livelihoods of millions of households. Cattle fattening practices and dairy production systems contribute significantly to the country’s GDP and foreign exchange earnings. According to the Livestock Sector Investment and Policy Toolkit (LSIPT) estimate, cattle production directly contributes ETB 150.7 billion to the country’s GDP, which is 17% of the overall GDP and 39% of the agricultural GDP. If processing and marketing are also considered, this increases to around 21% of the national GDP and 49% of the agricultural GDP. Additionally, the sector generates 16-19% of the country’s earnings from foreign exchange (MoA, 2012; Shapiro et al., 2017). Ethiopia has a diverse ecology, with 18 distinct agroecological zones (AEZs), and two recognized livestock production systems: highland pastoral and agro-pastoral systems, and lowland pastoral and agro-pastoral systems. Cattle production is an essential element of the mixed farming, agro-pastoral, and pastoral production systems, with approximately 70 million cattle (CSA, 2021). Most cattle breeds in the country are multipurpose which can be used for draught, fattening as well as for milk production. Those multipurpose cattle breed mainly found in mixed farming system (Gebremariam et al., 2010).In Ethiopia, cattle are the main sources of milk and meat products. Cattle meat contributes to more than 70% of the overall production of red meat and over half of the total meat output in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to FAOSTAT reports in 2020. CSA also reported that cattle milk products make up 97% of the country’s entire milk production.