NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 10 – African farmers are set to benefit from a three-year, $3.35 million (Sh443 million) project aimed at breeding cattle that emit less methane while boosting productivity and resilience.
The initiative, launched by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) with support from the Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub, is part of the Global Methane Genetics Initiative.
The programme, dubbed Accelerating Reduced Emissions in Indigenous Breeds in Africa, will harness genetics and traditional livestock knowledge to improve indigenous breeds, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening food security for millions of smallholder farmers.
“Reducing methane from cattle is one of the most elegant solutions we have to slow climate change,” said Andy Jarvis, Director of the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund.
“Thanks to collaboration with the Global Methane Hub, we’re backing an effort that uses age-old selection practices to identify and promote naturally low-emitting cattle – locking in climate benefits for generations to come.”
Livestock in Africa account for 18 percent of global livestock methane emissions, with cattle alone responsible for 70 percent of the output in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Without intervention, ILRI warns these emissions could triple by 2050. By leveraging the genetic diversity of indigenous cattle, ILRI says the initiative will allow Africa to contribute to global climate goals, including the 1.5°C warming limit.
“This initiative represents an important step towards a more sustainable and productive livestock sector in Africa,” said Raphael Mrode, Principal Investigator at ILRI.
“By integrating advanced genetics with Africa’s indigenous breeds and farmer knowledge, we can achieve meaningful reductions in methane emissions while strengthening rural livelihoods through improved productivity.”
The programme will focus on measuring methane from 3,000 cows across five African countries using advanced laser detectors and mobile apps, while linking the findings to existing data from 9,000 cows.
Scientists will also profile microbial communities in over 1,000 tropical cows to better understand the links between microbes, productivity, and methane emissions.
Advanced genetic tools are already being deployed to breed cattle that can withstand heat, require fewer resources, and produce less greenhouse gas. These climate-smart cattle will be introduced into national breeding programmes in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Benin.
The initiative will also build local capacity by training technicians, strengthening national breeding centres, and publishing accessible bull and cow rankings for farmers.
ILRI will coordinate the Africa-wide programme from its hubs in Nairobi and Addis Ababa, in partnership with the Agricultural Research Council (South Africa), CIRAD (France), CIRDES (Burkina Faso), and Université d’Abomey-Calavi (Benin).
Collaborations with breeding organizations URUS and GENUS will ensure dissemination to farmer networks.
The expected impact includes a 12 percent cut in livestock methane over 20 years through an annual 0.6 percent reduction in methane emissions at the population level. Productivity improvements are projected to lower methane per kilogram of milk by 20–25 percent over five years.
The programme also promises publicly available genomic data to support low-cost breeding improvements and greater access to climate-resilient livestock for smallholders, particularly women and youth.
