Co-designing sustainability assessment indicators for sheep farming in West Africa using a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats analysis approach

Sustainability assessments of livestock systems in Africa often rely on frameworks developed in the Global North, which may not adequately capture local realities and stakeholder priorities. This study aimed to co-design context-specific sustainability indicators for urban and peri-urban sheep farming in southern Benin. Using a participatory approach, 100 farmers representing three distinct farming systems, specialised sheep fattening ( SSF ), emerging sheep farms ( ESFs ), and traditional sheep farms ( TSFs ), were surveyed through open-ended questions based on a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) framework. Responses were analyzed using structural topic modelling to identify key sustainability factors, which were subsequently translated into measurable indicators. Twenty-four indicators were developed: 13 economic, four environmental, and seven social. Economic indicators dominated, reflecting farmers’ prioritisation of economic viability, while environmental aspects were underrepresented, indicating limited awareness of ecological impacts. These findings underscore the importance of integrating farmer perspectives with expert input to achieve balanced sustainability frameworks. The proposed indicators lay a foundation for the development of a practical decision-support tool for farmers, extension services, and policymakers, while also contributing conceptually to participatory sustainability assessment models tailored to local livestock systems.