Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Long-term Europe-Africa Research and Innovation Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture

Titre : CSARIDE : Climate Smart Agriculture Research and Innovation Support for Dairy Value Chains in Eritrea

Pays/Région : Eritrea

Date : Start date 2020-02-03 End date 2024-06-02

Identifiant : 187-CSARIDE
Type de projet : Development and innovation oriented (research) project

Objectif
The objective is to promote inclusive, sustainable and climate-relevant transformation of the Eritrean dairy value chain to enhance food and nutrition security, reduce poverty, create job opportunities for young people, and promote resilience to climate change while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Présentation
The livelihoods of close to 70% of the population are based on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for less than 20% of Eritrea’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 20-30% of its commodity exports. The performance of the agriculturalsector is hampered by over-reliance on traditional farming practices ; environmental degradation, including climate change with insufficient and irregular rainfall. These constraints lead to low levels of agricultural production and productivity. The sector is further weakened by underdeveloped value chains, including the dairy value chain, which suffers from weaknesses in input supply, market access, a weak processing sector and low value addition. Over 50% of the total milk produced is sold informally in the local market and less than 20,000 litres is processed daily by five processing plants. Seasonality of demand linked to the two big fasting seasons in Eritrea is a major problem for both farmers and processors. To date, agri-food research and innovation systems have failed to impact in a significant way on the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers. This is due to problems such as inadequate public policies and government investments to create a favourable innovation climate in agriculture. As a result, major research gaps exist all along the dairy value chain from production to processing.

Coordinateur : Teagasc – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority
Partenaires : Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) University College Dublin (UCD) University College Cork (UCC) Vita Self Help Africa (SHA)

Financement principal : Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO)
Budget : 4 248 000 EUR

FNSSA project database