Abstract

The CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish (L&F) is led by the International Livestock Research Institute (headquarters in Nairobi) with the participation of WorldFish, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).  The overall goal of L&F is  “to increase productivity of small‐scale livestock and fish production systems and performance of associated value chains so as to increase availability and affordability of meat, milk and fish for poor consumers and, in doing so, to reduce poverty through greater participation by the poor along animal source food value chains”.

L&F aims to achieve this by addressing key constraints and opportunities in targeted animal source food value chains. L&F proposes to combine upstream (global) research with research for development which addresses identified challenges in the selected value chains. The value chains were selected based on a variety of criteria (market opportunity, pro-poor potential, researchable supply constraints, enabling environment, existing momentum).

The Program Proposal and Theory of Change presented to donors in 2013 outlined two impact pathways both on delivery systems. Within the first impact pathway L&F focused on the selected value chains and works with development partners to identify and implement more relevant Research for Development. The second impact pathway sets out with the production of International Public Goods (IPGs) which further have to be communicated, adapted to local needs and out-scaled.

The principal purpose of this evaluation was to enhance the contribution that L&F is likely to make to reaching CGIAR goals and to reaching the program objective of increasing productivity of small‐scale livestock and fish production systems and performance of associated value chains.

IEA Evaluation Manager: Rachel Sauvinet-Bedouin, supported by Sophie Zimm