Africa’s rich livestock genetic resources hold untapped potential to drive productivity, climate resilience and economic development.

A new open-access reference book dubbed African Livestock Genetic Resources and Sustainable Breeding Strategies: Unlocking a Treasure Trove and Guide for Improved Productivity offers actionable insights for governments, researchers and practitioners to prioritise breeds with adaptive traits to climate resilience. They align breeding goals with production systems and farmer needs as well as practical perspectives on feasible livestock breeding strategies.

The book launched early this week by the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNet) in partnership with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in Nairobi, consolidates decades of research on livestock genetics, breeding and adaptation strategies for Africa.

Hosting approximately one-third of the world’s total livestock population, Africa is home to the world’s richest diversity of indigenous cattle (150 to 180), goats (289), poultry (126) and dromedaries (94) and the second highest diversity of indigenous sheep (363), rabbits (4) and donkeys (27).

The locally adapted breeds of these species have evolved over generations to survive heat, disease and variable feed conditions, which makes them critical for climate adaptation and resilience in small-scale and low-input production systems.

ILRI Director-General Appolinaire Djikeng said that by using science-based breeding strategies, we can improve productivity, enhance resilience and reduce emissions intensity across African livestock systems.”

“Africa’s livestock genetic diversity is not just a heritage – it is a climate and development tool,” Prof Djikeng said

According to the book, many African livestock breeds are at risk of extinction primarily due to indiscriminate crossbreeding with exotic breeds that erodes the unique genetic traits of these indigenous animals driven by a push for higher productivity that often ignores that local breeds are better adapted to harsh environmental conditions.

While the low productivity of indigenous breeds in these difficult smallholder environments leads to high greenhouse gas emissions per unit product, experts say that the total emissions remain lower than in intensive agricultural regions.

“Improving genetics, animal health, and management efficiency is a proven pathway to increase output while reducing emissions intensity, contributing to both climate mitigation and food security”.

The book emphasises that breeding objectives must reflect farmer priorities and production realities. For success, genetic improvement programmes must integrate adaptation and mitigation goals, include farmers in decision-making, and strengthen institutional capacity for data collection, monitoring, and livestock breeding and management.

Director of CTLGH Mizeck Chagunda said protecting and sustainably using indigenous breeds through targeted breeding is essential if Africa is to safeguard livelihoods and meet the challenges of climate change.”

“Local breeds are the backbone of climate-resilient African agriculture,” he added.

Director of AU-IBAR Dr Huyam Salih observed that strategic investments in genetic characterisation, breeding programme, and farmer-centred approaches will drive sustainable and resilient livestock systems for Africa’s future.

“Conserving and using Africa’s indigenous livestock genetic resources is a matter of climate and development security,” Dr Salih pointed out.

Chair of AABNet Executive Committee Ed Rege said the book, written by Pan-African community of experts is the foundational text as it provides the common language and evidence base needed to professionalise animal breeding on the continent, combat genetic erosion and ensure that farmers have access to trustworthy, productive, and adapted animals.

The launch of the landmark publication positions AABNet, ILRI, CTLGH, AU-IBAR and their national partners as leaders in coordinating African livestock genetic improvement and conservation.

These organisations underlined the importance of multi-country genetic evaluation to address major gaps in human capacity and infrastructure for genetic evaluation across African countries, professional capacity building to promote education innovation and strengthen human capacity in animal breeding across Africa, advocacy, awareness and business development to promote the use of advanced genetic tools and information to boost livestock productivity, and collaboration, networking and partnerships to scale breeding programmes and enhance sustainable development in livestock.

The book focuses on the centrality of genetic characterisation and presents opportunities for, and examples of, the use of gene editing as well as reproductive and genomic technologies in different livestock species. It integrates genetic improvement with conservation and sustainable use and strengthening institutions, data systems and professional capacity to deliver results.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Wangari Ndirangu