AU-IBAR Supported the Development of Livestock Farmers Associations and Livestock Value Chain Databases in African Countries.The African Union –Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) supported selected African Union member countries (AU-MSs) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the creation and development of a database for livestock farmer associations and livestock value chains. The broad objective of the initiative is to engage and support the national farmers organizations to better respond to the needs of their membership thereby enhancing their capacities to contribute meaningfully to policy development processes, improving their leadership and organizational management capacities and sustenance of good governance.

During a needs assessment workshop held from 10th–13th July at Mahe Island,Seychelles, representatives from 13 MSs and 3 RECs met to finalize the form and structure of the database as well as the data collection instruments including the data collection modules and forms. They also agreed on how the modules will continue to be populated and the activity sustained at the national and regional level. Participants also agreed on how the database will be managed and how information generated from the database can be shared to the general public.

The database which will be hosted inside the AU-IBAR Animal Resources Information System (ARIS) can as well be used to collect and manage information on different types of groups and platforms for livestock producers including policy platforms, Bee platforms and networks, Animal Resources Data Management Platforms (ARDMPs) and Value chains. The database though created at the continental level allows customization at national and regional level. All AU member states and regional economic communities have direct access to the system through the sub-domains created for each country and REC. The database is thus designed in such a way that will allow member states to customize the modules for data collection to reflect their individual identities and to also maintain full ownership and confidentiality of the content - with the possibility of sharing the data to AU-IBAR and their respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs) or to the general public. The database will contain information on the associations, their executive committees’ members, membership register, dues collection and annual turnover among other things.