Community based breeding programs influence climate adaptation strategies among smallholder sheep farmers in Ethiopia

Abstract Climate change poses significant challenges to agricultural systems, particularly in livestock-dependent communities. This study examines farmers' perceptions of climate change, its impacts, and adaptation strategies in two sheep Community-Based Breeding Program (CBBP) sites in Ethiopia: Bonga and Menz. Meteorological data from 1993–2023 were analysed alongside household surveys of 407 farmers. Findings reveal notable differences in farmers' perceptions and adaptation practices between sites. Farmers in Menz reported a higher frequency of droughts and water scarcity, while Bonga farmers highlighted grazing land loss as critical challenges. The analysis of adaptation practices identified key determinants such as geographical location, membership in cooperatives, training attendance, and access to climate-related information. Participation in cooperatives, such as the CBBP, emerged as a key enabler of climate-smart adaptation, with members adopting twice as many adaptation strategies as non-members. While feed improvement and destocking were widely adopted across all farmers regardless of CBBP membership, breeding animals that are more adapted was more common among CBBP members (66.8%) than non-members (14.6%), alongside proactive health management, income diversification, transhumance, and pasture management. Despite the positive role of cooperatives, barriers such as limited access to farm inputs, veterinary services, and microfinance remain common for all surveyed farmers in both sites. This study underscores the importance of farmer cooperatives and organizations in enhancing institutional support to improve the climate resilience and foster climate-smart agricultural practices of small holder livestock systems. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers, and livestock breeding organizations to support their efforts in strengthening climate-resilient smallholder systems.