Livestock Technologies and Grazing Land Management Options for Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation as a Contribution for Food Security in Ethiopia: A Brief Overview

Abstract

African countries, like Ethiopia, are particularly vulnerable to climate change because their economies largely depend on climate-sensitive agricultural production. Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) of Ethiopia recognized climate change as a huge threat and focusing on mitigation issues. The GTP stipulates the country’s ambition to build a climate resilient green economy by 2030. This paper looks at the potential of livestock technologies and grazing land management for mitigation and adaption to a changing climate. Research findings in Ethiopia showed that livestock technologies and management of grazing lands such as improving the quality of forage, feeding highly digestible forages, processing and preservation of feeds, use of controlled grazing instead of continuous grazing and inclusion of legumes in forage mixes, have a great response to climate change. The choices for application of the technologies and potential mitigation strategies primarily depend on the adoption and cost associated with it. Grazing land management not only mitigates climate change but also reduces soil erosion, increases carbon sequestration and contributes to the resilience of crop-livestock farming systems in Ethiopia. In conclusion, management of grazing lands and implementation of livestock technologies have good implications in mitigating climate change on top of income generation and thereby improving the livelihood of farmers in Ethiopia.