In 2025, we partnered with the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) programme to develop an enhanced and adapted curriculum for ‘climate risk management in agricultural and livestock extension’ (CRMALE). Yesterday in Nairobi, it was launched as part of the wider ‘Climate Risk Management in Agricultural Extension (CRMAE-Kenya) curriculum.
While AICCRA and partners work on this started three years ago, inputs from the Academy were energized in early 2025 when we co-hosted a livestock-specific curriculum development workshop in April. Bringing together experts from Ethiopia, Kenya and Senegal, the goal was to align country-specific adaptations into a shared framework responding to pastoralist realities.
The workshop used participatory tools – including SWOT analyses, group mapping, and live polls – to ensure inclusive co-design.
Participants identified five shared priorities: harmonizing competencies, identifying gaps in climate information services, addressing capacity gaps in extension, strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration, and establishing roadmaps for institutionalization.
As this update explains, the country teams identified a core set of competencies and developed country-specific follow up strategies and actions.
Yesterday’s launch brought together key partners and collaborators and marks a key step to support Kenya’s extension and advisory services in delivering relevant support to the livestock sector in dryland areas.
Livestock extension reference guide
The livestock-specific ‘Reference Guide’ grew out of the April workshop and provides training materials for a 2-week course in ‘Climate Risk Management in Agricultural and Livestock Extension’.
The course aims to equip agricultural extension workers to access, understand and incorporate climate information into their professional work. It is designed to provide foundational knowledge on climate and agricultural decision making; and practical tools to analyze climate-related risks, use appropriate weather and climate information to support agricultural decisions, communicate complex climate information effectively with farmers, and integrate climate services into agricultural extension activities.
This course is designed for agricultural extension and advisory professionals who actively support livestock producers with information, advice and other services.