Participatory tools for assessing breeding objectives of crop farmers and livestock keepers in Ghana and Ethiopia

Cooperating countries: Ethiopia, Ghana and Austria

Coordinating institution: Mekelle University, Kahsa Tadel Gebre, kasolet2006@gmail.com

Partner institutions: University of Ghana, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna

Project duration: 1 September 2024 - 31 August 2026

Abstract: 

The key aim of the project “Participatory tools for assessing breeding objectives of crop farmers and livestock keepers in Ghana and Ethiopia” will be to enhance active collaboration of plant and animal breeders from Ethiopia, Ghana and Austria. While plant and animal breeding are disciplines with very similar aims and tools, academic and business actors are typically not collaborating. This project starts at the first step of a breeding cycle, i.e. definition of breeding objectives. Using participatory research tools, male and female farmers both planting sorghum and keeping cattle in mixed crop-livestock production systems in Ethiopia and Ghana will be questioned about their trait preferences in both commodities. Data will be collected using semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and choice card experiments. In addition to this, secondary data will be sourced from the agricultural office of the district, women’s affairs of the district and literatures. Comparative analysis will be conducted considering type of commodity (sorghum/cattle) and country (Ghana/Ethiopia) as well as gender of household head (female/male). The plant and animal breeding experts as well as gender experts of the three academic institutions from Ghana, Ethiopia and Austria will closely collaborate at all steps in the design, data collection and analysis, improving intercultural as well as intersectoral communication. After analyzing the data, academics will come back to the farmers, discussing findings and paving paths towards community-based plant and animal breeding.