A multi-stakeholder participatory pilot study of the data demands of the future Ethiopian dairy sector

Abstract

Background: This paper describes a pilot study undertaken in 2018, to determine the key data needs of each of the different Ethiopian dairy sector stakeholder groups. The study aimed to characterise the emerging trends of dairy product production, processing, retailing and consumption in Ethiopia, and to identify and characterise current and future data needs of different stakeholders. Methods: The study undertook a mapping of the interactions between different stakeholders in the dairy sector, and an interactive evaluation of the institutional data repository and access options. Focus group discussions and interviews were held in three regions of the country prior to a two-day workshop in the capital Addis Ababa. Data needs were characterised by type, availability, format, level of detail, methods of dissemination, uptake and use, and the institutional arrangement, including the different roles of public and private sectors in decision making processes. Results: The study highlighted the main data needs and identified several broader institutional issues constraining the further development of the Ethiopian dairy sector. The stakeholder groups endorsed the reactivation of a national dairy board, independent of government but closely incorporating government, and with the buy-in and membership of private sector enterprises, including producers, processers, service providers and consumers, to provide clearer facilitative leadership on the dairy industry. Conclusions: The study workshop provided a timely discussion between diverse stakeholders, including government, and several potential organisations were suggested to host and manage a national dairy database. Importantly, the reactivation of a national dairy board was strongly endorsed. It was recommended that stakeholder links be established, sector-specific data needs be elevated to higher detail, and a national roll out of herd-specific data recording schemes was called for, to allow for effective evidence-based policies and decision making.

On-farm investments into dairy cow health: evidence from 15 case study countries

“…It would also provide the opportunity to measure the socio-economic impact of cattle diseases and their management as a potential basis for national and international investments in improved disease prevention. These data needs align and complement the list of data needs proposed by other authors such as Perry et al (17) and Waiswa et al (50).…”

“…However, there is not -to the best of our knowledge -a proper understanding about farm-scale health expenditures for dairy cattle. This need has also been identified by Perry et al (17).…”