New Global Methane Hub-backed initiative embeds methane traits into smallholder breeding programs across Africa and Asia

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), in partnership with national institutions in Tunisia and Ethiopia, has launched a three-year initiative aimed at unlocking the genetic potential of sheep and goats to reduce methane emissions while improving productivity. The project, titled “Low-methane genetics expansion to small ruminants in Africa and Asia,” is funded and facilitated by the Global Methane Hub.

Small ruminants account for 55 percent of the world’s domestic ruminant livestock and contribute approximately 9.6 percent of total global livestock methane emissions. The majority are raised by smallholder farmers and pastoralists across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where targeted genetic improvement strategies could deliver permanent, cumulative methane mitigation while enhancing incomes and resilience.

Embedding Methane into Breeding Goals

While methane selection traits have been incorporated into cattle and sheep breeding programs in developed economies, experience in LMIC small-ruminant systems remains limited. The new initiative seeks to close this gap by integrating methane emission data directly into established Community-Based Breeding Programs (CBBPs) in Ethiopia, Tunisia, India and Mongolia.

CBBPs have proven highly effective in improving productivity and adaptation traits under smallholder conditions. The project will now add methane emissions as a formal selection trait—alongside productivity and resilience—within locally adapted indigenous breeds.

The initiative is aligned with the Global Methane Genetics Initiative, coordinated by Wageningen University and Research, to ensure internationally standardized protocols. Technical collaboration with AbacusBio will support integration of methane data into the DTREO genetic evaluation platform.

Scientific Innovation and Infrastructure

The project introduces standardized methane phenotyping protocols for sheep and goats, using laser methane detectors and portable accumulation chambers to measure emissions at the individual-animal level.

Its four interlinked work packages include:

WP1: Methane phenotyping and field-level measurement.

WP2: Development of a methane data and information platform integrated into DTREO for storage, analysis and genetic evaluation.

WP3: Sampling and genotyping to identify genetic factors associated with methane emissions and enable genomic evaluation.

WP4: Capacity building, technical training and long-term implementation support for national partners.

By embedding methane measurement within ongoing breeding systems, mitigation gains are designed to be permanent and cumulative—delivering sustained reductions without compromising productivity or farmer livelihoods.

Tunisia: Modernizing Breeding for Climate Goals

In Tunisia, ICARDA convened a national inception workshop in December 2025 in partnership with the Office de l’Élevage et des Pâturages (OEP), under the Ministry of Agriculture. OEP oversees national animal identification, performance recording and genetic evaluation programs, making it one of the region’s most established livestock breeding institutions.

The initiative will be embedded within existing national breeding programs covering four sheep breeds and one genetically diverse goat breed, using a hub-based recording model to expand methane data collection nationwide.

Engineer Anis Zaiem, Director General of OEP, noted that integrating methane measurement modernizes Tunisia’s breeding strategy and aligns it with global climate-smart livestock objectives.

Ethiopia: Scaling Through Established CBBP Networks

In Ethiopia, the project was launched in January 2026 in collaboration with the Livestock Development Institute (LDI), the Ministry of Agriculture, and national and regional research institutes.

Ethiopia hosts more than 260 Community-Based Breeding Programs across diverse agro-ecologies—one of the most mature CBBP networks globally. The initial phase will focus on two sheep breeds (Bonga and Doyogena) and one goat breed (Konso), all with well-established pedigree and performance recording systems.

Dr. Asrat Tera, Director General of LDI, emphasized that integrating methane mitigation into breeding programs supports Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy strategy and international climate commitments.

Toward Climate-Smart Small Ruminant Systems

By combining low emissions, productivity gains and local adaptation traits, the project positions genetics as a powerful lever for climate mitigation in smallholder livestock systems. Over time, participating countries aim not only to reduce methane intensity but also to strengthen resilience, food security and rural incomes.

As global pressure mounts to curb agricultural emissions, ICARDA and its partners are betting on a long-term solution rooted in science: breeding sheep and goats that are both climate-smart and economically viable—ensuring that sustainability and productivity advance hand in hand.