TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE: MAINSTREAMING NUTRITION-SENSITIVE AGRICULTURE

1 STARTING AN NSA ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................... 1

2 NSA PROGRAMME DESIGN AND PLANNING................................................................................... 2
3 IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................................................ 15
4 MONITORING ................................................................................................................................ 19
5 EVALUATION ................................................................................................................................. 21

Appendix A: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR MAINSTREAMING NSA IN THE DAIRY SECTOR

EXPERTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE LIVESTOCK NSA MAINSTREAMING BRIEF
WRITE-SHOP
In Tigray Region
Wukro
16-17 July 2019

Name of Expert Position Organization

Solomon Negash Livestock Production Expert BoARD

Teklebirhan Wolday Gender and Nutrition Expert CASCAPE

Mulugeta Gebremariam Fishery Expert BoARD

Abraha Lemlem Poultry Value Chain Specialist FTFE-VCA

Hailu Kiros Extension Communication Expert BoARD

Musie Girmay Milk and Meat Production S/Expert BoARD

Habtu Assefa NSA Advisor Alive & Thrive

Solomon Reda Agri-Business Specialist FTFE-VCA

Habtemichail Mezgebe Dairy Value Chain Specialist FTFE-VCA

Alemayehu Araya NSA Officer IIRR

Dr. Awet Gebre Senior Researcher TARI

Adhanom Baraki Livestock Associate Researcher TARI

Hailay G/Kirstos Irrigation Expert BoARD

PREFACE: MAINSTREAMING NUTRITION-SENSITIVE AGRICULTURE

Background
Under Result 2 in the NNSAS (National Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Strategy), section 2.2.1, the list
of Core Activities calls for a “nutrition-sensitive agriculture implementation brief to facilitate smooth
implementation of the nutrition-sensitive agriculture strategy.” The NSA mainstreaming briefs
practically show how NSA is integrated in woreda development plans, in all stages in the project
cycle, including implementation. There are nine NSA mainstreaming briefs in this series:

1. How to mainstream nutrition in Dairy Projects

2. How to mainstream nutrition in Poultry Projects
3. How to mainstream nutrition in Meat Projects
4. How to mainstream nutrition in Fish Projects
5. How to mainstream nutrition in Head Cabbage Projects
6. How to mainstream nutrition in Avocado Projects
7. How to mainstream nutrition in Carrot Projects
8. How to mainstream nutrition in Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Projects
9. How to mainstream nutrition in Faba Bean and Pulses Projects

Purpose
The goal of mainstreaming nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) into production (agronomic crops,
horticulture, and livestock) is to contribute to nutritious diets. Development Agents, agricultural and
health extension workers, and community- based workers, including NGOs, promote NSA in many
ways. This is evident through the various nutrition education materials developed and NSA
interventions implemented in Ethiopia over the past years.

Examples of nutrition-sensitive activities include:

 Growing diverse food, such as vegetables and fruits, to eat and to sell
 Raising poultry, goats or sheep to make a contribution to the family diet, especially eggs and
milk
 Using good pre- and post-harvest storage and handling practices to preserve food longer.

In order to be intentional about mainstreaming NSA, woreda-level agricultural activities should

integrate nutrition-sensitive agriculture at every stage of the “project cycle,” beginning with the
government’s bottom-up planning processes. The briefs provide stage by stage directions for NSA
mainstreaming, accompanied by examples, would assist with improved integration of NSA into AGP
programming.
Objectives of the NSA mainstreaming briefs:
Agricultural planning processes begin in communities and kebeles, cumulating to woredas, and
resulting in woreda-level agricultural plans. The briefs provide a handy reference to woreda officials
and experts who lead annual planning exercises and follow up with monitoring activities.

This brief contains advice on how to mainstream nutrition through the agriculture project cycle:

1. Problem Identification - Name nutrition problems in their communities by identifying gaps

related to available foods, income, and social/gender issues that would cause under- or mal-
nutrition
2. Project Design - Identify a range of potential activities to meet the gaps and improve
nutrition
3. Project Implementation - Plan for effective implementation of activities
4. Project Monitoring - Monitor progress through nutrition-sensitive indicators
5. Project Evaluation - Evaluate the success of nutrition-sensitive interventions through simple
checklists and tools.

If NSA implementers and stakeholders use these briefs, planners will have a better understanding of
nutrition-sensitive agriculture, how to mainstream it in their agricultural and development plans,
and to show that NSA interventions have been successful in improving nutrition in their
communities.

You can use these materials to assist you to go through the planning cycle with staff, stakeholders
and communities to ensure that nutrition issues are really being addressed by agricultural
interventions. Each section contains key questions and examples to assist you to design, implement
and monitor NSA projects with stakeholders and communities.
1 STARTING AN NSA ASSESSMENT

Situation analysis of consumption of dairy products from cows and goats:

1. Current production (supply) and consumption (demand) patterns of dairy products:

 Production /Supply/ milk
o 2.94 million ton/year
 Consumption /Demand/ milk
o 16 litter/capital consumption/year
Source FAO, 2011

2. Dairy products’ major contribution to improved nutrition:

 Animal source foods are rich sources of Minerals, Vitamins, essential amino-acids, and
fatty acid
 Animal source foods can provide a variety of micronutrients not found from plant source
 Relatively small amounts of these foods added to a crop-based food substantially
increase nutrient adequacy
 ASF (e.g., iron and zinc) exhibit greater bioavailability than those from plant sources
 Milk contains biologically active compounds, which have important for physiological and
biochemical functions
 Milk contains Ca, Mg, Se, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).

3. General objectives related to improved livestock production and consumption of dairy

products:
 Boosting the availability, affordability desirability and consumption of milk and milk
products at household and community level.

4. General targets for improved production and consumption:

 Consumption
o Small holder farmers (HHDs) that have Pregnant and Lactating Women /PLW/ and
children under two.
 Production
o Smallholder farmers, CIGs, feedlot operators, cooperatives, unions.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 1 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
2 NSA PROGRAMME DESIGN AND PLANNING

Planning for the appropriate NSA interventions, i.e., livestock products:

Livestock Assessment: There are 6 sections to this assessment: Extension Services, Production, Market Value, Family, Diet, Food Preparation, and Benefits.
This tool is mostly a barrier analysis to the adoption and consumption of new livestock products, but other issues are also embedded in the questions
(gender resource mapping, access and control, preferences, time and labor, knowledge and practices, etc.).

Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products

Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
1 Extension Services
1.1 Are extension X  Their knowledge is a  The young generation lack  Young generation  Need for on-the-job
personnel knowledgeable prerequisite and helpful to adequate practical knowledge specialize in a certain training and additional CB
about this livestock product improve the current  Specialize in a certain area of area of the subject, but to fill the gaps
and its production production conditions of the subject, but at ground at ground-level it
conditions? the milk and its products general skills are required demands for general
 Structural setup skills
1.2 Have extension staff X  Training focused on  Poor training on the  b/c they are  Professional
trained farmers (women management management aspects engaged in other engagement
and men) how to produce  Training manual  Lack of technologies government tasks out  Provision of appropriate
and manage this livestock  Pre and post training of their professions technology
product? assessment
 b/c they are engaged in other
government tasks out of their
professions
1.3 Have there been X  There are  No Livestock specific  Lack of attention  Interlink production,
recent demonstrations on demonstrations in other demonstrations and Skill on specific food science and marketing
this livestock product (at areas, cooking  Lack of appropriate product use and concept capacitate
FTC, at model farmer’s demonstrations technologies handling extension workers
plot)?  In the production  Culture
aspects there are dairy cow
at FTCs, milk collection and
processing centers
establishments

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 2 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
 Milk day events
1.4 Is this livestock product X  When supplementary  There is no surplus  Focus on income  Implement package
being promoted by food preparations are production in the sector and generation components composed of
extension personnel (either demonstrated, they limited access to livestock NSA
agriculture or health)? promote livestock products products  Training to extension
workers on NSA
1.5 Do both men and X  There is no policy and  Development practitioners  Lack Exposure for  Address the problems of
women have access to the scenarios that refute lack to address the problems of external environment both men and women
information about this women from accessing both men and women /information  Practice gender
livestock product and how  Gender sensitivity problem sensitivity models
to manage and produce it?  Introduce supportive
technology for household
chores
1.6 Is there an extension X
delivery extension
FTCs X  They are staffed with  Lack to fully engage in  Financial problem  Fulfilling the required
agri-experts and items extension delivery unit  Poor administration managerial and other
demonstration  Financial problem  Lack of required facilities
 Poor administration infrastructure and
facility
CIGs X  There are model CIGs in  Lack to access for  Expensive to  Capacity development
milk collection and appropriate technology introduce  Permit for permanent
processing access to shed
Farmer Groups  Social and religious  Not used for extension  Focus to the formal  Need to design
norms purpose one and church approaches to work with
them
Cooperatives X  They are institutions on  They are established only to  Focus on income  Capacitate
which we can work generate income, not from generation and not
nutrition prospects aware for nutrition
Other, private individuals X  As a model for  Financial constraint  Low commitment of  Agri-friendly financial
demonstration financial institution opportunity
1.7 Is the livestock and X  Genetic improvement  Low productive breeds are  Poor husbandry  Genetic improvement
livestock product technologies many in number system/ waste technology
management etc./  Modern husbandry

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 3 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
environmental / climate  Effective feed
change – friendly? development strategies
2 Production
2.1 Does the X  There is animal  Traditional and ineffective  Backward  Introduce dairy
community/family have husbandry experience practices production trend
experience with this or a
similar type of livestock or
livestock product?
2.3 Is the cost of X  Loan access  High dairy and feed cost  Availability (animal  Strengthen Feed
production affordable?  Vet service  Low diversified breed and feed) processing plant, watering
 Shortage of land for point
forge development
 Low access to
infrastructure (water
and electricity)
2.4 Are feed, veterinary X  There are institutions  Lack continuous supply  Low attention and  Follow-up
services and other inputs government, FCU and privet  Poor accessibility commitment  Standardization
available for this livestock  Incur for high initial  Financial facility
product? cost
2.5 Do both women and X  Good start model dairy  Labor intensive and time  Women are busy  Work classification
men typically produce this producer women taking with other household
livestock and livestock  Dairy is backyard tasks
product?
2.6 Is the livestock product X  Urban agriculture  Higher running cost Access to  Feed and dairy cost  Need to assignee
relatively easy to manage focused on dairy, it is shad specially to urban areas inclined at higher rate permanent dairy shed
around the homestead or relatively easy to manage
on the family plot? around the homestead or
by family
2.7 Does the livestock X  It demands technologies for  Need to lead by BP and
product involve product storing and handling market-oriented production
complicated production or
management methods?

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 4 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
2.8 Does the livestock X  Availability of Vet drug  Feed treatment is difficult  To register best  Training and
product need additional shop  lack of required equipment return it needs for use establishment of Agro
inputs for production of quality feed dealers/ technology dealers
(equipment, additives, or
additional labor)?
2.9 Is the entire X  There are good  It is a problem to produce  Use of Poor-quality  Introduce good breeds,
production cycle of this experiences of jointly safe, low breed improvement, breed Awareness to use
livestock product easy to managing the livestock use low return feed and feeding,  Roughage Feed concentrated feed, and
manage? product privet vet service  Focused to number market
2.10 Is the livestock X  Good start of feedlots,  Breed problem  Breed problem  Awareness nutrition
product produced in CIGs etc.  Feed constraint  Feed constraint concept
enough quantities (on  Feeding practice  Feeding practice
average) for regular
household use and
consumption?
2.11 Is this livestock X  Daily base but lack  Shortage of feed  Need to show the
product produced on a consistency importance of eating milk
weekly basis? and milk product
2.12 Is the livestock X  Year-round feed problem  None fastening/  At list lactating mothers
product dependent on holiday food for and children’s have to eat
seasonal changes? smallholder farmers
2.13 Are both women X  There are experiences of  Women are Labor poor  Women are Labor  Need to establish Agro
and men able to access all both storing inputs required poor dealer near to farmers gate
the inputs required for for producing the livestock
producing this livestock product
product?
2.14 Do both women X  If they engaged in  Women are supposed to  Women are  Minimize women
and men have enough time transformative gender work productive, reproductive supposed to work burden at home
to produce this livestock relations, such as Gender and social productive,
product, given their daily Model Families, they could reproductive and social
activity schedule? prioritize joint production
2.15 Do both women X  Focus to small ruminant
and men have enough for women headed HHs
labor to produce this

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 5 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
livestock product, given
their labor resources?
2.16 Are there well- X Although they are  Low level of awareness  Technical gap and  Training the
established and effective traditional, there are good  Low attention given by cultural influence management aspect
management practices for management practices government and other partners
this livestock product?
2.17 Are there effective X
input (feed, equipment, vet
services) supply systems for
this livestock product?
Public sector X  There are institutions  Lack of creative involvement  Expensive and  Promoting privet sector
managed by gov’t
Private sector X  There are institutions,  Capacity (financial and capital  Established at  establishing distribution
but not strong urban areas / not near center and establish near to
to the poor community farmers gate
2.18 Does this livestock X  There is availability of  Land use management  Short-term  Review land use policy
product require natural land and water required to system agreement for fating for Agri use
resources, such as land, produce the livestock
pasture, water? product
3 Market Value
3.1 Is the livestock product X  There is a high demand  Adulteration  Not market  Improve the production
a good seller on the for the livestock product  Limited number of milk oriented production/ system
market? collection centers multi-purpose
 Processing plant ploughing and dairy
3.2 Is the livestock product X  High Demand/price  Low production  Good market price  Awareness to home
sold more than consumed and convert to other consumption o
at home? basic needs
3.3 Does the market value X  There is a high demand  Fasting Periods
of the livestock product for the livestock product  Production
change throughout the mainly during non-fasting variability
year? months and days  Seasonal feed
availability

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 6 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
3.4 Is the sales potential X  The livestock product  Lacks consistency  Price for feed  Need for Feed
for this livestock product could be one of the major dramatically increased treatment
adequate to contribute sources of income for the
significantly to the family’s family
monthly income?
3.5 Are both women and X If they engaged in  Cultural and  Collective market
men involved in taking the transformative gender managerial barrier
livestock product to market relations, such as Gender
and selling it? Model Families, they could
be involved in marketing
together
3.6 Are both women and X  Men dominated  Cultural influence  Gender mainstreaming
men involved in making in all aspect
decisions about how the
income from the livestock
product is spent?
3.7 Are there existing X  There are MCCs and  No proper year-round market  Poor infrastructure  Develop market linkage
market linkages? MPPs /Maichew, Humera linkage due to fastening strategy and infrastructures
and Mekelle
4 Family Diet
4.1 Is the livestock product X  It is a prestige item, but  For children not common for  Low production,  Capacity development,
part of the traditional diet more frequently used as adults knowledge gap, lack production package
in this area? part of the ordinary diet  Use as ornamental then diet standard components, guidelines

4.2 Is the livestock product X  Opportunities of  Development of d/nt
already included in most income generation income generation scheme
family meals? schemes low, lack of  Capacity on nutrition
nutrition security
demonstration
4.3 Are families willing to X  Lack wide reliable  Simple accessible
incorporate the livestock demonstration demonstration way,
product into their diet in practice, unaffordable strengthening Agro dealer
new ways (new recipes, facility to support them
processing methods, etc.)

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 7 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
4.4 Do both women and X  Unless the family want  Poverty, lack of new  Develop income
men agree that the to sell the product, they way thinking generation scheme and
livestock product should be should be aware of the capacitation
incorporated into the importance of
family diet? incorporating the product
into the family diet
4.5 Are agencies / X  Many agencies are  Limited integration and effort  Lack MOU among  MOU settled and
organizations promoting promoting dairy products. among organizations sectors programmed
this livestock product for The NNSAS and training
improved nutrition and materials promote dairy
health? products for consumption
4.6 Are agencies / X  There are some  BOA is use material for  No integration b/n  Integration, scaling up
organizations using specific promising efforts that have management aspect only lacks Government and
nutrition education or been practiced by Health nutrition focus projects
SBCCs to promote this and some projects
livestock product?
5 Food Preparation
5.1 Does the family have X  Traditional way of  Lack to have appropriate  Price demanding,  Accessible Agro dealer,
access to information about processing equipment and inaccessibility, lack demonstration and capacity
how to / new ways to of exposure to new
process and prepare it? thinking
5.2 Does the family know
how to:
5.2.1 Store it? X  Traditional  Knowledge gap,  Capacitation (knowledge
lack of facility and and facility)
income
5.2.2 Process it? X  Change to better and Not safe exposed to " "
other products contamination
5.2.3 Prepare it? X  with traditional ‘’ " "
knowhow
5.2.4 Serve it? X  Boiled and process use “ ‘’ ‘’

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 8 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
5.3 Are appropriate X  There are some  Low attention and  Lack of specific  Strengthen Agro dealer
storage facilities available interventions by projects, commitment by government/ product focus, market to supply food safe
on the homestead/in the chilling tank/ Traditional agencies inaccessibility (Agro materials capacity
community for this storage facility  Producers are not use dealer) development and exposure
livestock product?  There are some appropriate storage facilities  Lack for consistency
interventions by projects, / sustainability
introducing communal  Expensive
chilling tank  There are no local
market producers
 Knowledge is
limited
5.4 Do both women and X  There are some  Not easily available  Strengthen Agro dealer,
men have access to the interventions by projects, at market capacity development and
storage facilities for this introducing communal exposure
livestock product? chilling tank
5.5 Are appropriate X  Traditional practices  Not address the majority  Lack of specific  Strengthen Agro-dealer,
processing facilities  Small scale processing product focus, market capacity development and
available on the equipment at CIGs, Modern inaccessibility (Agro exposure
homestead/in the MCCs at cooperatives and dealer), -Lack
community for this MPPs at FCU available sustainability on CD
livestock product?
5.6 Do both women and X  There are traditional  Not address the majority  Lack of specific  Strengthen Agro- dealer,
men have access to the processing facilities product focus, market capacity development and
processing facilities for this inaccessibility (Agro exposure
livestock product? dealer), Lack
sustainability on CD
5.7 Are appropriate X  Traditional way of  It is not modern  Expansive utensils  Strengthen existing
cooking facilities available cooking and cooking materials suppliers, demonstrating
on the homestead/in the and not demonstrated materials -
community for this
livestock product?
5.8 Do both women and X  Easley available at  Traditional and not modern  Expansive utensils  Strengthen existing
men have access to the market for small scale and cooking materials suppliers, demonstrating
and not demonstrated materials

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 9 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
cooking facilities for this
livestock product?
5.9 Are appropriate X  Traditional way of  Not appropriate it lacks some  Lack of focus and  Government and
recipes available / preparing technical maters specially food sustainability and agencies concerned and
demonstrated for this safety information, skill of committed
livestock product? expertise
5.10 Have both women X  Not at required standard  Lack of focus and  Government and
and men been trained on sustainability and agencies concerned and
recipes for this livestock information, skill of commitment
product? expertise
5.11 Are there different X  Traditional practices  Lacks quality  Lack Knowledge,  Exposure, experience
ways to process and skill and new thinking sharing
prepare the livestock
product for different types
of meals and recipes?
5.12 When the livestock X  Presence of trend to use  Not Year round, which is  Price and  Guideline and manual,
product is processed and conducive environment seasonal availability of facilities, strengthening suppliers
prepared as a food, is it knowledge gap
easily incorporated into
meals?
5.13 Is it easy to X  HE and AE workers  Awareness problem /safety  Lack of sustainable  Guideline and manual
process and prepare the demonstrate issue/ demonstration and CD
livestock product as a food practices
for children?
5.14 Is it easy to X  There is no difference in  Quality/safety issue  There is no  Exposure visit and
process and prepare the preparing foods for difference in preparing demonstration
livestock product as a food individual specific food foods for /individual
for adults? preparation specific food
preparation (no
experience)
5.15 Does the family X  Food is not prepared based  Lack of focus and  Media exposure,
understand the on individuals’ requirement information by Gov’t emphasis should be given
implications of and agencies
combinations and portion

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 10 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Livestock Product: Milk and Milk Products
Factor Y N Enabler Barrier Why? How?
sizes for consuming this
livestock product?
6 Benefits
6.1 Will this livestock X  There is a practice and  Poor Productivity and  Lack of information  Media coverage,
product make a difference adequate # of livestock modern production system and capacity continuous capacity
to the health of children experience development
and family members if
consumed according to the
recommended amounts?
6.2 Will this livestock X  Project and  Implementation and follow  Lack of continuous  Need for Multi-sectorial
product make a difference government’s commitment up problem follow up monitoring and Programmed M and E
to women’s sense of and evaluation integration
empowerment if they have
both access and control
over it?
6.3 Will this livestock X  It lacks recipe  Lack of new  Capacity development
product make a difference thinking and and education a on recipe
in how meals are enjoyed experience
by family members?

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 11 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
Analysis and Planning
1. What are the major enablers and the reasons why they are enabling?
 The knowledge among extension workers is a prerequisite and helpful to improve the
current production conditions of the milk and its products
 The existing government structure gives an opportunity to assign livestock experts at ground
level
 Training on production has been given to farmers that make the farmers aware how to
produce
 The separate livestock and Dietary diversity or cooking demo training manual will help to
conduct trainings
 There have been cooking demonstrations for other source of foods, which will be a good
experience to demonstrate livestock source foods
 From production perspectives, there are dairy cows at FTCs. If there is production, it will be
easy to work on other aspects of the livestock
 The established milk collection and processing centers are good havens to process the
products further and present in different forms
 The milk day event will be an opportunity to promote the milk and milk products and reach
the mass
 The government policies and strategies do not refute women from accessing livestock
 The existing FTCs are going to be good center of excellence for dairy cow development and
milk production, processing and storing, because the centers are staffed with livestock
experts.
 There are model institutions like that of cooperatives, CIGs, unions and privates in milk
collection and processing which ultimately guaranties the consumption of milk and milk
products by the community
 The Genetic improvement technologies and practices will improve the productivity of the
dairy cow
 Effective feed development strategies availability of model feed processing plants will solve
the feed problem and at the end boosts the milk production
 There is animal husbandry experience among the farmers that demands an effort to
improvement
 Access to finance AI and Vet service.

2. What types of activities can be designed based on these enablers?

 Training on milk value chain and NSA to DA at woreda and kebele level
 Improving the training manuals to NSA or to have both production and cooking
demonstration
 Training on how to Mainstream NSA interventions into woreda plan
 Training on milk handling and management to farmers
 System strengthening the livestock sector
 Conduct milk and milk product food demonstration
 Milk day celebration on regular basis
 Strengthen feed development and treatment activities
 Provision of milk post-harvest handling technologies to FTCs and model farmers,
cooperatives, CIG and unions
 Strengthening FTCs and model farmers, cooperatives, CIG and unions.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 12 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
3. What are the major barriers and the reasons why they are constraints?
 The young generation lack adequate knowledge because Specialize in a certain area of the
subject.
 Lack of technologies results in poor milk and milk product
 Poor Pre and post training assessment by expert’s b/c they are engaged in other professions
and resulted in poor training design, follow up and technical backup
 No Livestock specific demonstrations limited the exposure of the community in production
and management of milk and milk products
 Culture of the community inhibits production and consumption of milk and milk products
 There is no surplus production in the sector, which created poor access to livestock products
 Development practitioners lack to address the problems of both men and women that
become a bottleneck to address the need of women
 Gender sensitivity problem which affects provision of technologies that are labor and time
saving for women
 Weak Integration between HE and AE workers that caused poor milk and milk products
demonstration
 Financial constraint and that make the poor to not engage in dairy farm
 Milk producers are established only to generate income that affects nutrition of the
community and the household
 Low productive breeds and traditional and ineffective practices are significant for low quality
and productivity
 High feed cost hinders individuals to enter the milk production.

4. What types of activities can be designed to address the barriers?

 Training on NSA monitoring and Evaluation
 SBCC
 Provision of high yielding breeds or improving the existing breeds
 Training on Gender and NSA
 Improve multispectral integration at different levels
 Link the poor to the financial and market
 Practical training on Practice modern husbandry practices
 Training on feed preparation
 Encourage the establishment of feed processing plants.

5. Do regional and woreda plans include explicit NSA objectives related to livestock production and
consumption of livestock products? For example, “X woreda will increase household production
and consumption diversity in line with the National Nutrition Program (NNP II) and the AGPII
Development Objective.”
 There are promising moves at regional bureau of agriculture but not satisfactory.

6. What can you do to ensure that NSA objectives related to livestock products are included in
plans?
 Assist during planning
 Training on NSA mainstreaming
 Plan review in the eyes of NSA

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 13 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
7. Do regional and woreda plans include explicit NSA objectives related to increasing livestock
production?
 There are production plans, but not NSA targeted.

8. What can you do to ensure that NSA objectives related to increasing livestock production are
included in plans?
 Assist during planning
 Training on NSA mainstreaming
 Plan review in the eyes of NSA.

9. Do regional and woreda plans include explicit NSA objectives related to livestock products’
market access and opportunities to improve smallholder income (especially women)?
 Yes, but It is not well described to deal with back and forth linkage of the market.

10. What can you do to ensure that NSA objectives related to livestock products’ market access and
opportunities to improve smallholder income (especially women) are included in plans?
 Assist during planning (supplier’s identification, market gap understanding, client
identification)
 Training on NSA mainstreaming
 Plan review in the eyes of NSA.

11. Do the regional and woreda plans include activities and related budget lines or a section for NSA
activities, to promote livestock production and diet diversity?
 No, the activities have no dedicated budget from government. Example: to make the
products nutrient rich.

12. What can you do to ensure that regional and woreda plans include livestock production and
related budget lines?
 Advocacy
 Awareness raising and introducing the concept of NSA activities, outcomes and strategies.

13. What types of cross-cutting activities, including food security, nutrition education, extension,
water sources, working with men and women, women’s empowerment, food hygiene and
storage, climate change, and biodiversity, etc., should be included in order to increase enabling
factors and decrease the barriers?
 WASH (water and hygiene Sanitation)
 Climate Smart Agriculture practices
 Introducing labor and energy saving technologies.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 14 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
3 IMPLEMENTATION

1. Mainstreaming NSA
Here is an example of a dairy project that mainstreams NSA:

NAME OF PROJECT
Smallholder Dairy Development in Endamekoni Woreda, Tigray

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY / ORGANIZATION

Bureau of Agriculture, AGP, FTF-Ethiopia Value Chain Activity, SNV, Livestock and Fishery Sector
Development (LFSD)

LOCATION
Woreda Endamekoni

FEATURED LIVESTOCK PRODUCT

Milk and its products

BENEFICIARIES
Direct: Smallholder Farmer, Private Dairy Farms, CIG
Indirect: Cooperatives, unions, Commercial Farms

OBJECTIVES
 Increase milk production
 Increase milk and milk product consumption at household level
 Improve milk quality management.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS
 Milk contains biologically active compounds, which have important for physiological and
biochemical functions like protein, carbohydrate and fats.
 Milk contains Ca, Mg, Se, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).

INTERVENTION
 Introducing improved dairy cow breeds
 Access to quality feed
 Provide AI service and vet Service
 Train on the modern dairy cow husbandry
 SBCC
 Milk and milk products demonstration at FTCs and model farmers
 Celebrate milk day with the community
 Strengthening and establish milk collection centers
 Training on NSA to Smallholder Farmer, Private Dairy Farms, CIG
 Market linkage with milk processing plants
 Provision of milk preservation and transporting equipment
 Training on Milk quality management to Smallholder Farmer, Private Dairy Farms, CIG
 M&E.

RESULTS
 Increase Milk productivity of local breeds by 50%
 Increase Milk productivity of improved breeds from 6 L to 7.5 L per day
 Increase the dietary diversity of the households by 2

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 15 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
  Increase the women empowerment
 Boost the income of the household.

2. Best Practices
Here is an example of a best practice of mainstreaming NSA in the dairy sector:

Best Practice: AI service implementation at Alamata by AGP in 2007 EC

 Explain why is there a need for this Best Practice?

AI service implementation was needed because the dairy cow breed in the project area had to
be improved.

 What worked so well? What are the elements of the best practice?
This practice worked so well because all farmers were interested and convinced to use AI
serves to improve their dairy cow breed. Moreover, the effort and commitment of AI
technician assigned in the area was paramount important.

 How is the best practice different from business as usual?

It’s different because, the beneficiaries were grouped and had a collective leadership style.
Moreover, the technician gives awareness raising and capacity building trainings on regular
bases and the AI was efficient and effective because the service has been delivered at the
right time properly.

 What are the positive consequences of the best practices for farmers?
Farmers like it because, many cows gave birth, the milk productivity enhanced, milk
consumption at household level improved and the farmers organized themselves as
cooperative to collect and sell milk to the local market.

 What aspects of the good practice will you continue to promote in order to ensure better
results?
We will continue to promote AI service, community mobilization, day to day communication
with AI technician, cooperative formation, and the consumption of milk and milk products at
household and community level. Moreover, the intervention has been implemented on
cluster base a minimum of 50 households were targeted as a group.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 16 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Dairy cows by CIGs Forage development by Nurhsen Ali in K/awlaelo
woreda, Agulae kebele

3. Sustainability and Scaling-Up

Here is an example of a project that used best practices to scale up NSA mainstreaming in the dairy
sector:

Scalable Best Practice: Daero Milk cooperative (found at Agulae town of Kilte awlaelo woreda)

Partner: REST/BoARD and other USAID supported projects (LMD and FTFE VCA)

Successes: -Daero Milk cooperative or MCC is established to increase the burgeoning power and
increase HHs income and food security of individuals

Meanwhile, all the cooperative members are:

 Use AI technology as group, secured genetic improvement and also
 Feed their cows improved forage and concentrated feed
 Introduce consistent health service
 Improved the husbandry practices.

As a result:
 Members can able to have and manage high yield dairy cows and produce surplus milk
 Improve household consumption of milk and milk products 1 to 3 liter per day at non
fastening period and half of their product at fastening time.
 Deliver milk to collection center and sale row milk to Mekelle market at contractual base
(Processing plants, Cafeterias and Hotel) and able to semi process the left-over milk at
MCC
 Able to improve their income and household food security.

Currently, because their good working performance:

 Able to own standard MCC having modern, electrical with backup generator) chilling tank
with capacity of 2000liter (2 compartment)
 This makes to preserve row milk for about 72 hrs.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 17 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
  Currently the trained is scaled up/ influence the local community and one additional MCC
- Selam is established
 Serve as center of excellence for the region.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 18 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
4 MONITORING

Project Monitoring

1. Key indicators related to livestock products production and diet diversity:

a. AGP2
i. No HHs who increased livestock production and productivity
ii. No of HHs who increased livestock market access
iii. No of HHs their dietary diversity

b. NNSAS
i. Increase production of animal source foods
ii. Reduce postharvest loss and improved food safety
iii. Increase capacity of FTCs

c. NNP Indicators
i. Proportion of households consumed animal source foods
ii. Proportion of woredas with at least one milk collection center supported
iii. Number of food processing technologies/practices identified and introduced
iv. % of FTCs with nutrition corner
v. Number of woreda with women group engaged in local production of complementary
food
vi. Number of women’s groups engaged in agricultural income generating activities

d. National Nutrition Strategy

i. Increasing nutritional status of women
ii. Increasing nutritional status of children
iii. Improving care and nutritional status of people living with HIV/AIDS

2. What you can do to promote monitoring of livestock products and their adoption:
The Development Agent living in the district has a reporting schedule on monthly, quarterly and
annual basis which is under the direct supervision of the community. The report includes which
livestock product is mostly adopted by the community. Moreover, scheduled woreda level
assessments and supervision to kebeles are conducted routinely.

3. What you can do to plan and monitor whether household income has increased as a result of
increased production of livestock products:
The DA for every kebele sends a report on HH income increment to the woreda on quarter and
annual basis, but lacks consistency and reliability due to capacity gap and flow of information
from the community to DA. However, the woreda and region teams have done ground
assessments and crosschecked the reliability to fill the gap.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 19 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
4. What you can do to plan and monitor improvements in women’s empowerment (e.g., control
over household resources, engaging in economic activities, greater confidence because of
improved personal health and health of children) as a result of increased livestock products
production, sales and consumption:
Most of the development strategies / indicators/ says that women beneficiaries should be given
priority to engage in income generating activities. By giving women priority, DAs report on
disaggregated data at woreda and regional levels.

5. What you can do to monitor and evaluate the impact of the NSA activities related to livestock
production:
 Standardize NSA impact monitoring and evaluation checklist /guideline, supported with
training
 Community level interviews should be conducted at regular basis
 Focus group discussions with different community members should be conducted.

6. What you can do to ensure that the regional / woreda budget includes resources for
monitoring improvements in household diversity production and consumption of livestock
products:
There are resources allocated resource for monitoring and evaluation for production and
productivity. However, there is no specific budget allocated to monitor improvements in
household diversity production and consumption, but AGP has some start-ups on allocating
budget for monitoring improvement in household diversity production and consumption of
livestock products. There are many partners dedicated to NSA interventions throughout the
regions, and those partners should work together by displaying their maps of intervention so as
to ensure that full-fledged NSA interventions are successful.

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 20 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
5 EVALUATION

Project Evaluation

Here are a set of simple monitoring tools and checklists to determine whether NSA livestock
interventions have been a success.

Some ideas:
 Production / Dietary Diversification survey (household, community)
o How many HHs involved in dairy cow development in the kebele?
o How many dairy cows are there in the kebele?
o How many of them are lactating?
o What is the average milk production in the kebele?
o How much of the produce consumed at household level (%)?

 Household Survey Questionnaire (behavioral change)

o Do you have dairy cow?
o How much of the milk produced did you consume with your family?
o Have you attended NSA promotion and demonstration events in your community?
o How much of the milk produced is utilized for household consumption?
o How many children under age five are there in this household?
o Do the children consume milk and milk products, and how often?
o What is your economic status since you start engaging in dairy cow farming?

 Gender Analysis tools (decision-making, resources access and control)

o How many women in this kebele own dairy cows?
o Do women have equal access and control over dairy cows?
o Who can decide what happens to the dairy food resources (dairy cow, milk and milk
produced), and whether they are consumed or sold?

 Group Discussion Guide (women’s production groups)

o Are you all owners of dairy cows?
o What are the benefits of being owners of dairy cows?

 Observation Guide (dairy farm) – look for these things

o Dairy cow shed, housing
o No cows in the shed (by breed)
o Husbandry system (sanitation, feed trap, feed, health aspects, handling and
management)
o Production status
o Geographical flow of produce
o Consumption
o Number of children

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 21 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
 Key Informant Interview (DAs, community leaders, HEWs, woreda-level planners)
o How many dairy cows are there in your kebele?
o How many dairy cow beneficiaries are there?
o Health service status
o Production status
o Consumption status
o Technical support
o Availability of development partners
o Status of NSA interventions
o Milk day celebration
o Food demonstration
o Feed availability in your community
o Extension support
o Integrations among HEW, AEW, community and woreda smallholders
o How often did you evaluate the implementation modality of NSA?

NSA Mainstreaming Brief 22 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020
APPENDIX A: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR MAINSTREAMING NSA IN THE DAIRY SECTOR

List and describe all the different types of opportunities and initiatives related to nutrition
education, SBCC / social marketing, awareness building / promotion, training, professional
development that are related to improved livestock production and dietary diversification (both
existing CD opportunities and recommended ones). List according to level: federal, regional, woreda,
kebele, community. Include training, refreshers, job-embedded support, coaching, and mentoring.

Opportunity/initiatives Recommendations
1 Federal Level  AGPII nutrition indicators  Follow-up for the implementation of
 NNSAS the strategies, police guideline
 NNP indicators
 National Nutrition Strategy
 Food policy
 NSA planning guideline
2 At regional  Forum Established /Nutrition/  Need for Strong commitment to make
Level BOA, BOH, BOE etc. it happened
 NSA planning guideline  Materials should be cascaded to
 SBCC material developed kebele level
 Nutrition manual  Awareness for different tools have to
 NSA monitoring tool be mainstreamed at all level
 NSA implementers map  Nutrition case team have to be
 Nutrition expert at BOA established
 NSA plan mainstreamed  TOT on NSA for all case team
 NSA planning material for all experts
3 Woreda level  NSA experts at woredas  Forum Established /Nutrition/
 NSA awareness  Have to capable for the position
 Availability of training material o Training material
o NSA monitoring tool
o NSA implementers map
 Training of NSA for all case team
4 Kebele Level  HEW and AEW have taken NSA  Integration b/n Health and Agri
training Extension workers should be
 NSA Local language training strengthened
material  In Dietary Diversity training - Animal
 Dietary diversity training started source especially milk is not
considered
5 Community  Availability of animal source food  Lack of NSA concept /need shift from
Level  Feeding culture is promising production oriented to NSA concept/
 Lake of awareness to dietary diversity

NSA Mainstreaming Brief A-1 Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd.

Livestock – Dairy January 2020