YES, investments on goats as means to fight poverty is a winningcardBUT1

ClosingseminarofthestudyScalingupSuccessfulpracticesonsustainable propoorsmallruminantdevelopmentprojects.
OrganisedbyFundedby

Goats, once of little economic and social interest, are now of high importance for the challenges the world has to face: food security,climatic change, water shortages, use of marginal lands, land competition, environmental degradations, etc. Goats are on the forefrontofalltheseissuesbutoverallseenasawaytofightpovertyandhunger. InternationalGoatAssociationaimstoraiseawarenessofthesechallengesandhelpfind joint solutions. It is with this approach that the International Fund for Agriculture Development has funded an IGAs study to enlighten the interest of using goats for fightingpoverty.Precisely,theIGAnetworkhasidentifiedprojectsinvolvinggoatsandkey success factors. These factors have been mobilized to develop a business planning approach.Basedonseveralexampleslearnedfrompastexperiences,thisapproachaims to support decision makers in implementing success projects by good procedures and realisticoperationalanalysis. Thisseminarisorganizedduringthe11thInternationalConferenceonGoatstobeheldin Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) in September. It aims to share results and to go forwardonthedebateabouttheutilityofgoatsforfightingpovertyandtheprerequisites thatthiskindofinitiativesneedstoachieveasuccessfullevel.

S EPTE M BE R 25 TH I NTE RN ATIONAL C ON F ER ENC EO N G OATS L AS P AL MAS DE G RA N C AN ARIA (S PAIN ) H OTEL C RISTINA , ROO M C RISTINA II I,11 TH FLOO R 8:30 13:30 Deadlineforregistration:September20th

ifinitialconditionsaresatisfiedandwithrealisticobjectives

PROGRAM

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8:008:10 Openingsession ByJuanCapote,Scientist at the Canarian Institute for Agricultural Research (ICIA). 8:108:25 WhyIFADneedsmoreelementsaboutpropoorgoatprojects ByAntonioRota, Senior Technical Adviser on Livestock and Farming Systems at the
International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).

08:2508:40 Ensuring the success of investments on propoor goat projects for sustainablelivelihoods. ByC.Devendra.ConsultingonAnimalProductionSystems. 8:4010:00 What are the prospects for building successful business plans on goatbasedpoordevelopmentprojects? By JeanPaul Dubeuf, IGA/IFAD Project Coordinator and Scientist at the French
National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA). The presentation will focus on some key points that will be briefly introduced and widely discussed with the audience: 8:55-9:10 9:10-9:25 9:25-9:40 Even for a smallholder a minimum size of the herd is needed. Intensified systems based on high inputs are not recommended for pro-poor projects. There are some imperative key factors: (i) minimum identified goat keeping activities, (ii) minimum public general infrastructures, (iii) A form of political will is identified or RD minimum organization or local existing organization (NGOs). The design of a pro-poor development project must consider targeted and measurable social and economical returns. Smallholders can benefit from current market opportunities. An introduction to working groups.

9:40-9:55 9:55-10:00

10:0010:30 Coffeebreak

- 10:3011:45.Howpoorfamiliescanbeneficiatefromactualmarketopportunities? In order to foster exchanges and debates, well face this point in a dynamic participatory approach. The audiencewillbedividedintothreegroups.Theroomwilldisposeofthreetables.Eachtablewilldealwith atopic:onetablewilldealwithmeatmarket,anotherwithdairyproductsmarketandthethirdonewith fibermarket.Eachgroupstays20minutesineachtableafterwardmovestothenextone.Eachtablehasa leader who remains and summarizes the previous conversation to the newly arrived participants. At the endofallturnovers, each leaderreportstothe wholeaudiencethe groupsdiscussionsandconclusions. The aim is that by moving participants around the room, the conversations at each table are cross fertilisedwithideasfromallentrants.

o Goatmeatmarketisgrowingnearlyeverywhere.Whatinnovativeideasand approachescanbeneficiatepoorgoatkeepers? Lead table: Ramkumar Bendapudi, Coordinator ofimGoat Project at ILRI (to beconfirmed)

o Fibermarketdemandshighfiberquality.Howsmallholderscouldimprove their quality and have access to international market? What innovative ideasandapproachescanbeneficiatepoorgoatkeepers? Lead table: Luis Iiguez, former ICARDA Scientist and Consulting on Small
Ruminants Development.

o Goatmilkisoftenseenasanopportunitywithagrowingdemandinseveral emergingcountries.Whatinnovativeideasandapproachescanbeneficiate poorgoatkeepers? Leadtable:JeanPaulDubeuf,projectcoordinator.

11:4512:45Restitutionofworkinggroupsandcommondebate. 12:4513:00 Conclusions and closing session: What final output and communicationforthestakeholders. ByJeanPaulDubeuf,projectcoordinator.

15:3017:30 LASTMEETINGOFTHESTEERINGCOMMITTEE(reservedtothesteering committeemembers) REGISTRATIONISREQUIREDTOATTENDTHESEMINAR Amaximumnumberof40peoplecanparticipateintheseminar.Ifyouareinterested,you can apply online by clicking HERE. Later on, the organizer will get contact with you.The profiles more in line with the topic have preference. Registration entitles you to take part onlyintheseminar. DeadlineforregistrationisSeptember20th. Formoreinformationpleasecontactus:remedios.iga.goats@gmail.com