Transforming Ethiopia’s Livestock Sector: Insights from the New Zealand Study Tour

Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa, contributing to around 40% of Ethiopia’s agricultural gross domestic product (GDP), nearly 20% of its total GDP, and 20% of its national foreign exchange earnings. However, the sector remains far from reaching its full potential. Productivity is low, export market access is limited, and critical data systems are fragmented and inconsistent. Due to these challenges, Ethiopia is missing the opportunity to turn the livestock sector into a pillar of growth, foreign investment, and food security.

In response to these challenges, Ethiopia has initiated programs such as Yelemat Tirufat (“Bounty of the Basket”), which aims to transform dairy, poultry, and apiculture sectors by improving productivity, creating jobs, and promoting food self-sufficiency. However, achieving these outcomes requires coordinated action in several areas, most notably in digital transformation, breeding and genetics, institutional alignment, and human capital development. 

To share experience from one of the leading livestock producers globally, a delegation of Ethiopian officials participated in a livestock study tour to New Zealand, organized by the Livestock Improvement Corporation and Development Gateway: An IREX Venture under a Livestock Information Vision for Ethiopia (aLIVE) program. New Zealand was selected for its globally recognized livestock sector where data, technology, and institutional coordination drive productivity, traceability, and market competitiveness. The tour offered firsthand insights into how a country, with no more than 10 million cattle, can build a globally competitive livestock system grounded in real-time data and farmer participation.

This policy brief captures key lessons from the New Zealand livestock study tour and outlines their relevance for Ethiopia. It is intended to guide policymakers, system managers, and development partners in strengthening Ethiopia’s livestock systems through strategic reforms and targeted investments. It further highlights examples of what is possible when data, institutions, and producers all work together for a shared vision while emphasizing the ongoing efforts under the aLIVE program.