Regional workshop on strengthening feed and rangeland security in pastoral regions in the Horn of Africa

Pastoralism remains central to livelihoods and economies across the Horn of Africa. Fodder availability, whether from natural pasture, cultivated forage, or conserved feed, is one of the most critical determinants of livestock productivity, resilience, and competitiveness in trade. However, fodder production, conservation, and trade remain fragmented, underdeveloped, and vulnerable to climate variability, policy gaps, and weak cross-border harmonization.

The African Union Policy Framework for Pastoralism in Africa (2012), the Eastern Africa Livestock Feed and Feeding Strategy (2023–2037), and the IGAD Regional Rangeland Management Strategic Framework (RRMSF) offer complementary but silo approaches. To operationalize these frameworks in an integrated & coordinated manner for Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, the African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Platform Project proposes a three-step process:

• A Rapid Assessment in the form of “Stakeholders Assessment Survey” to generate an outline of the current implementation status of feed and rangeland strategies, feed security, private sector participation, and best practices in fodder production and trade value-chain.
• A Consultative Workshop: to input to and validate findings, build consensus, and develop a regional roadmap for sustainable fodder production, conservation, and trade, with enabling policy environment.
• Post-Workshop Knowledge products development and sharing.

Overall Objective

To enhance feed security and resilience in pastoral regions of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia by aligning and integrating continental and regional feed and rangeland strategies, strengthening private sector and community participation, and fostering coordinated regional partnerships for sustainable fodder production, conservation, and trade.

Specific Objectives

• Assess Implementation Gaps: Review the progress and implementation status of continental and regional feed and rangeland policies / strategies (including strategic feed reserves) to identify key gaps and challenges at both policy and operational levels.
• Evaluate Private Sector Engagement: Analyse the role, performance, and constraints of private sector actors in fodder and rangeland (feed reserves) development, conservation, and trade, with a view to strengthening their contribution.
• Document and Share Best Practices: Identify, showcase, and promote successful models of commercial and community-based fodder production, conservation, and rangeland management for replication and scaling.
• Prioritize Coordinated Interventions: Define and agree on priority actions and areas for joint investment and support by governments, private sector actors, pastoral cooperatives, and development partners.
• Strengthen Regional Platforms and Partnerships: Reinforce the IGAD feed and rangeland platform as a coordination and partnership mechanism to foster regional collaboration, investment, and policy harmonization.

Expected Outcomes

• Shared evidence base on the status, gaps, and opportunities in fodder and rangeland strategies, derived from the Scoping Study.
• Consensus on an integrated intervention derived from fodder and rangeland policy frameworks / strategies.
• Roadmap to fill the gaps on sustainable fodder production, conservation, coordination and trade, including specific national and regional interventions.
• Private Sector Engagement Brief highlighting performance, constraints, and investment opportunities.
• Strengthened IGAD feed and rangeland platform with clearer partnership mechanisms.
• Documented best practices and road map to support replication and scaling in the region.