The feasibility of low emissions development interventions for the East African livestock sector: Lessons from Kenya and Ethiopia
Improving the productivity of livestock production can have a significant impact on the emissions intensities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from domestic animals in East Africa, and can help to address the challenges of meeting a growing demand for animal protein within the region. In both Kenya and Ethiopia, governments, public and private sector investors, and farmers are interested in interventions that can simultaneously improve on-farm productivity and profitability as well as meeting nutritional security needs, with reduction of GHG emission intensity being a co-benefit. This paper examines the potential of nine low emissions development (LED) interventions or measures to reduce emissions intensity – that is the emissions per unit of animal protein produced. These measures fall into three categories: improving feed quality and availability, manure management and animal husbandry.