[WEBINAR REPLAY] – Local breeds for sustainable livestock systems in Africa.

Updated on October 23, 2025
by TSARA

Episode 1: Meeting tomorrow's challenges

On November 21, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (CET Paris), the TSARA initiative— thematic group "livestock farming" —is offering a webinar to share an overview of current knowledge and research on local breeds and their contribution.

Presentation

Climate change is evident in all regions of the world, raising questions about the future of livestock systems, particularly for pastoral and grazing systems with their accompanying droughts, extreme temperatures, uncertainties in terms of feed and water, etc. In this context, indigenous breeds adapted to local livestock farming conditions are a resource for limiting the vulnerability of systems and promoting their resilience, while meeting herd productivity needs. The aim of the webinar "Native breeds for sustainable livestock farming in Africa" is to highlight the importance of these breeds on the African continent and to discuss the challenges and methods for characterizing their aptitudes and performance and their contribution to resilience in the highly varied conditions of socio-ecological systems on the continent. It will also look ahead to the challenges of the future, with a more demanding climate, and question their vulnerability.

The first episode (E1) of the webinar (November 21, 2024) will explore the main challenges facing animal production systems, including climate change, productivity requirements, resilience requirements, and the role of local breeds. It will include presentations and a survey of African research organizations on how they view the importance of local breeds in meeting the challenges of tomorrow's livestock farming.

Two more episodes are planned for 2025:
E2: Local breeds. Unlocking their genetic potential and socio-ecological importance
E3: The future with local breeds: Research priorities and prospects for action