Agrosilvopastoral Systems

Integrated crop-livestock production systems cushion each sector from external pressure and optimize economic, social and environmental conditions.
Integrated crop-livestock production systems cushion each sector from external pressure and optimize economic, social and environmental conditions.

ICARDA’s integrated approach towards more productive and sustainable crop-livestock systems focuses on farmer- and community-based solutions for improving sheep and goat production, sustainable management and restoration of rangelands, production of water-efficient dryland forages, and better integration of crop and livestock in mixed dryland systems.

Our innovations reduce the environmental footprint of dryland agriculture and aim for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) through restoration measures that adapt to climate change. We also deliver knowledge and skills to rural households to ensure product safety and maximum benefits from value addition.

Our work in resilient crop-livestock systems is carried out by our Resilient Agro-Silvo-Pastoral Systems (RASP) team and its sub-teams, developing integrated innovation packages for livestock-based systems in low rainfall areas to improve livelihoods and increase system resilience. RASP also conducts research related to small ruminant (sheep and goats) genetics, breeding, feeding and health, dryland forages, rangeland ecology and management, and ecosystem restoration.

Watch and learn about our climate smart approaches for sustainable production of forage crops!
 

Our Innovations

 ICARDA innovations help countries and communities strengthen their adaptation to climate change and transition towards food and nutritional security.

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Selected Doyogena ram for use in artificial insemination

 

OUR CROP-LIVESTOCK EXPERTS

Our research teams provide integrated packages that help farmers to implement our innovations and new approaches and allow them to flourish:

Latest News

ICARDA AT COP28
News
COP28 will take place in Dubai, UAE, from November 30 to December 12, 2023. With a primary focus on transforming agri-food systems for climate resilience and global food security and location in the heart of the CWANA and Middle East drylands, COP28 holds immense significance for ICARDA, CGIAR’s drylands agricultural Research Center.
ICARDA 2030 Strategic Plan Update
News
We invited the heads of regional National Agricultural Research programs and the ICARDA Board of Trustees to the LARI research station in Lebanon to guide us through the latest review of the 2030 Strategic Plan.
Dr. Udo Rudiger, ICARDA and Dr. Muluken Zeleke, ILRI-ICARDA with Ethiopian Trainees
News
ICARDA collaborated with a Community of Practice (CoP) to train a group of 150 farmers, mainly youth and women, about the importance of livestock nutrition and the value of feed components.

Featured Innovations