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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 31(2)

Enabling the uptake of livestock–water productivity interventions in the crop–livestock systems of sub-Saharan Africa

Tilahun Amede A , Kim Geheb B D and Boru Douthwaite C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A International Water Management Institute/International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

B Challenge Program on Water and Food/International Water Management Institute, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

C International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), A.A. 6713, Cali, Colombia.

D Corresponding author. Email: k.geheb@cgiar.org

The Rangeland Journal 31(2) 223-230 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ09008
Submitted: 15 January 2009  Accepted: 23 March 2009   Published: 19 June 2009

Abstract

Livestock–water productivity (LWP) refers to a set of innovations that could contribute towards reducing the amount of water needed per unit of output generated. But what does it take to get these ideas adopted by livestock keepers in crop–livestock systems? In this paper, we treat LWP as an innovation, and consider in what ways it may be introduced and/or developed among the crop–livestock agricultural systems by drawing on successful examples of change. In the first part of this paper, we introduce relevant tenets of the innovation systems literature, and introduce a three-component conceptual framework for the adoption of LWP technologies. In the second part, we describe three successful cases of resources use change. In the final section, we identify what we consider to be necessary components in successful change, and relate these to LWP. We argue that, in the under-regulated crop–livestock systems of eastern Africa, key areas for focus include social institutions, political systems, gender and leadership.

Additional keywords: conceptual framework, innovation systems, institutions, leadership.


Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the constructive comments of Drs Shirley Tarawali, Don Peden and two anonymous reviewers. The project is supported by Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ), Germany.


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