Andy Catley

Research Director and Professor

Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition

Clinical Associate Professor, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Contact

Email

Working with Feinstein since 2000

photo of Andy Catley

Andy Catley directs Feinstein’s Policy and Process Research Program. He leads national and regional programs that combine evidence-based analysis with the facilitation of policy reform and improved programming. He is the Principal Investigator on the Agriculture Knowledge, Learning, Documentation and Policy project in Ethiopia, and the Karamoja Resilience Support Unit in Uganda. His current interests focus on processes of rural transformation and related policy and programming options, especially in areas affected by recurrent humanitarian crises. From 2006 to 2015, Andy also led Feinstein’s support to the global Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS), and chaired the LEGS Steering Committee during this period. LEGS is a companion module to the Sphere Handbook.

Andy’s previous work at Tufts includes work the African Union and African regional organizations to develop new policies on pastoralist areas development and food security, notably the AU Policy Framework for Pastoralism in Africa. In 2005, Andy opened the Tufts University Africa Regional Office in Ethiopia, and directed the office until 2011. As a veterinarian and epidemiologist, Andy also worked extensively on livestock and veterinary issues in Africa, including the validation of participatory epidemiology in disease investigation and surveillance in resource-poor areas. He lived and worked in Somaliland, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Kenya for 17 years.

Andy holds a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of London, a master’s degree in tropical veterinary science from the University of Edinburgh, and a Ph.D. in epidemiology, also from the University of Edinburgh. He was made a European Specialist in Population Medicine in 2005, and is a de facto Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Public Health.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Rural transformation, especially in areas affected by recurrent humanitarian crises.
  • Evidence-based approaches in difficult operational contexts.

REGIONAL FOCUS

Greater Horn of Africa

East Africa

COURSES TAUGHT

MOST CITED BOOKS & ARTICLES

  • Catley, A., J. Lind, and I. Scoones. Pastoralism and Development in Africa: Dynamic Change at the Margins. Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2013.
  • Barasa, M., A. Catley, D. Machuchu, H. Laqua, E. Puot, D. Tap Kot and D. Ikiror. “Foot-and-mouth disease vaccination in South Sudan: benefit-cost analysis and livelihoods impact.” Transboundary and Emerging Diseases 55, (2008). 339-351.
  • Abebe, D., A. Cullis, A. Catley, Y. Aklilu, G. Mekonnen and Y. Ghebrechirstos. “Livelihoods impact and benefit-cost estimation of a commercial de-stocking relief intervention in Moyale district, southern Ethiopia.” Disasters 32, 2 (2008). 167-189.
  • Catley, A., S. Okoth, J. Osman, T. Fison, Z. Njiru, J. Mwangi, B.A. Jones, T.J. and Leyland. “Participatory diagnosis of a chronic wasting disease in cattle in southern Sudan.” Preventive Veterinary Medicine 51, 3-4 (2001). 161-181.
  • Catley, A. and T. Leyland. “Community participation and the delivery of veterinary services in Africa.” Preventive Veterinary Medicine 49, (2001). 95-113.

MOST RECENT EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS

  • Catley, Andy, Jeremy Lind , and Ian Scoones. “The Futures of Pastoralism in the Horn of Africa: Pathways of Growth and Change.” Office international des epizooties revue scientifique et technique 35, no. 2 (2016): 389–403.
  • Catley, Andy. “Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment.” Livestock-Related Interventions During Emergencies – The How To Do It Manual, edited by Ankers, P., Bishop, S., Mack, S. and Dietze, K. FAO Animal Production and Health Manual No. 18. Rome, 2016.
  • Catley, A., B. Admassu, G. Bekele and D. Abebe. “Livestock mortality in pastoralist herds in Ethiopia during drought and implications for drought response.” Disasters 38, 3 (2014). 500-516.
  • Catley, A. and A. Cullis. “Money to Burn? Comparing the costs and benefits of drought responses in pastoralist areas of Ethiopia.” Journal of Humanitarian Assistance (2012).
  • Catley, A., R.G. Alders and J.L.N. Wood. “Participatory epidemiology: approaches, methods, experiences.” The Veterinary Journal 191, (2012). 151-160.

RECENT NEWS

Andy Catley and co-authors make book on pastoralism open access

Pastoralism and Development in Africa: Dynamic Change at the Margins (eds. Andy Catley, Jeremy Lind, Ian Scoones) is now available open access, ten years after it was originally published in…

Pastoralism journal publishes series about Karamoja Resilience Support Unit

In November 2021, Pastoralism released with a special section of articles coming out of the Karamoja Resilience Support Unit’s 2019 conference “Pathways to Resilience in the Karamoja Cluster.” It includes…

SEADS Project releases findings from evidence reviews

In 2020 the SEADS Project systematically reviewed the impact of agriculture interventions in humanitarian crises, focusing on impacts on livelihoods, food security, and nutrition. The review covered all of the…

Andy Catley, Racey Henderson, and Anne Radday published a SEADS Learning Brief

Andy Catley, Racey Henderson, and Anne Radday published a SEADS Learning Brief titled, “Emergency Agriculture Interventions: Reviewing Evidence on the Impacts on Livelihoods, Food Security, and Nutrition,” which systematically reviews…

Karamoja Cluster Conference on Pathways to Resilience

The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) in Uganda hosted a three-day international Karamoja Cluster Conference to take stock of recent research in Karamoja, northwest Kenya, and neighboring areas of South…

USAID publishes the Agriculture, Knowledge, Learning, Documentation and Policy (AKLDP) five-year report

The USAID/Ethiopia Agriculture Knowledge, Learning, Documentation and Policy (AKLDP) project, as part of the Feed the Future portfolio in Ethiopia, was tasked with helping USAID, its Implementing Partners, and the…

Feinstein team held a workshop on bridging the gap between research and practice with FAO in Rome

A Feinstein team including Helen Young, Andy Catley, Elizabeth Stites, and Anastasia Marshak held a one day workshop with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in…

Karamoja Resilience Support Unit conducted training on pastoralism and policy options in East Africa

The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) partnered with International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) to conduct a five day (19-23rd March 2018) training of trainers’ (TOT) course on Pastoralism…

Karamoja Resilience Support Unit briefed donors on policy implications for livestock trade dynamics

The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) recently released a six minute video clip portraying the livestock market dynamics and presenting the perspectives of herders, buyers, brokers, and other service providers…

Andy Catley’s paper on resilience in pastoral areas reviewed by STEPS Centre

In a recent blog post, Ian Scoones discusses Andy Catley’s recent report, “Pathways to Resilience in Pastoral Areas: A Synthesis of Research in the Horn of Africa.” The post explores…

Additional funding awarded to AKLDP by USAID Ethiopia

The Agriculture Knowledge, Learning, Documentation and Policy Project (AKLDP) has been awarded $730,000 by USAID Ethiopia to continue its work providing collaborative learning and coordination support across the USAID Feed…

Andy Catley discusses Ethiopia’s drought with Tufts Now

Andy Catley recently talked to Tufts Now about how better planning and improved funding have helped Ethiopia deal with debilitating drought. As Ethiopia struggles to recover from its worst drought…

AKLDP releases report on the impacts of the El Niño drought in Ethiopia

The Agriculture Knowledge, Learning, Documentation and Policy Project (AKLDP) released Field Notes that summarize how farmers describe the devastating impacts of the current drought in northern Ethiopia. The notes describe…

FEINSTEIN PUBLICATIONS

Pastoralists riding camels in the desert.

Pastoralism in Africa: A Primer

This primer on pastoralism in Africa provides basic information on the core aspects of pastoralism as a livelihood and production system.

Pastoralists riding camels in the desert.

Le pastoralisme en Afrique : brève introduction

Cette brève introduction au pastoralisme en Afrique donne des informations élémentaires sur les principaux aspects du pastoralisme en tant que moyen d’existence et système de production.

Livestock drinking at a body of water

Pastoralism and Livestock Marketing in Africa

This briefing paper provides an overview of pastoralist livestock marketing in Africa. It also explains the marketing behaviors of pastoralists and the economic logic behind their decisions on when, how many, and which types of animals to sell.

livestock, trucks, and people at market

Le pastoralisme et la commercialisation du bétail en Afrique

Ce document d’information présente une vue d’ensemble de la commercialisation du bétail pastoral en Afrique. Il explique également les comportements des pasteurs en matière de commercialisation et la logique économique qui sous-tend leurs décisions quant au moment, au nombre et aux types d’animaux à vendre.

Dasanech women gathered in Illeret Kenya

Local Knowledge and Perceptions on the Causes of Malnutrition among the Dasanech in Kenya

This study share the results of a rapid community-level analysis of the causes of acute malnutrition among the Dasanech in northern Kenya.

Iandscape in Illeret, Kenya

Brief: Livelihoods Change, Drought, and Malnutrition in Illeret, Northern Kenya

This brief report on how recent livelihoods trends such as the loss of the delta and recent shocks such as the 2022 drought have directly impacted food security and nutrition in Illeret, Kenya.

women participate in participatory epidemiology

Mount Kulal evidence brief: women’s knowledge of child malnutrition

This brief presents the results from the Mount Kulal pilot that investigated the seasonality and basic causes of acute malnutrition in northern Kenya.

women participating in research activities

Using participatory epidemiology to investigate the causes and seasonality of acute malnutrition in Marsabit and Isiolo counties, northern Kenya: methods and experiences

This report describes the methods used and experiences from a community-level analysis of the causes and seasonality malnutrition in selected locations in Marsabit and Isiolo counties in Kenya.

women in a meeting

Women’s knowledge on the seasonality and causes of child malnutrition in Isiolo county, Kenya

This report presents the results of a participatory analysis of the causes and seasonality of malnutrition in Borana children and mothers in Cherab and Chari wards in Isiolo county, Kenya.

women in northern Kenya

Women’s knowledge on the seasonality and causes of child malnutrition in Marsabit county, Kenya

This report presents the results of a participatory analysis of the causes and seasonality of malnutrition in children and mothers in North Horr and Loiyangalani wards in Marsabit county, Kenya.

Pathways to Resilience in Pastoralist Areas: A Synthesis of Research in the Horn of Africa

This synthesis paper reviews Feinstein’s research and focuses on the increasing socioeconomic differentiation in selected pastoralist areas, and the implications in terms of pathways to resilience.

Briefing Paper: Pathways to Resilience in Pastoralist Areas: A Synthesis of Research in the Horn of Africa

This briefing paper reviews a full synthesis of Feinstein’s research on pastoralism and focuses on the increasing socioeconomic differentiation in selected pastoralist areas, and the implications in terms of pathways to resilience.

Community-Based Animal Health Workers in the Horn of Africa

This report describes the process and findings of an evaluation of community-based animal health workers (CAHWs) in Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Overall, the researchers find that CAHWs continue to…

Participatory Impact Assessment: A Design Guide

The Feinstein International Center has been developing and adapting participatory approaches to measure the impact of livelihoods based interventions since the early nineties. Originally released in 2009, this updated version…

Experiences of National Governments in Expanding Their Role in Humanitarian Preparedness and Response

Many countries’ governments are slow to assume leadership of their disaster management system. Reasons for slow assumption of national leadership include a lack of government prioritization of disaster management, minimal…

Milk Matters

This report presents the findings of two cohort studies assessing the impact of small-scale livestock interventions, designed to sustain access to and availability of animal milk at the household level over the dry season, on the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age.

Shifting Sands: The Commercialization of Camels in Mid-altitude Ethiopia and Beyond

Although pastoralists in Ethiopia are often characterized as unresponsive to market opportunities, the bulk of Ethiopia’s growing formal and informal livestock and meat exports are supplied from pastoralist areas of…

Mind the Gap

This was a follow up study to earlier regional analysis for the IGAD-FAO Livestock Policy Initiative that examined the benefits of livestock exports by pastoralist wealth group. Mind the Gap focuses on the Borana and Somali areas of Ethiopia, and describes the growing formal trade in meat and animals from pastoralist areas, destined for export markets.

Rapid Review of the Cash-for-Work and Natural Resource Management Components of the RAIN Project

The project Revitalizing Agricultural/Pastoral Incomes and New Markets (RAIN) is a three‐year project implemented by Mercy Corps and Save the Children UK (SCUK) in parts of Somali and Oromiya Regions…

Moving Up or Out?

The pastoralists of Shinile Zone in the Somali Region of Ethiopia experience multiple livelihoods challenges and various types of conflict. Among international NGOs in the area, there is increasing interest…

Milk Matters-Phase One Report

Milk Matters ultimately aims to improve the nutritional status of children in pastoralist/semi pastoralist areas in the horn of Africa.

Livestock Exports from the Horn of Africa

Support to the export of pastoralist livestock from the Horn of Africa is often viewed by aid organizations as a key poverty reduction strategy. Drawing on existing literature and field research in Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan, this report examines if and how different wealth groups benefit from the export trade.

Milk Matters

This report is the outcome of the first phase of Milk Matters: a joint venture between the Feinstein International Center, Save the Children USA and Save the Children UK in…

Milk Matters: A Literature Review of Pastoralist Nutrition and Programming Responses

Children across pastoralist/semi pastoralist areas of the horn of Africa are often referred to as some of the most nutritionally vulnerable in the world. The dominant response from the international…

Participatory Impact Assessment

The Feinstein International Center has been developing and adapting participatory approaches to measure the impact of livelihoods based interventions since the early nineties. Drawing upon this experience, this guide aims…

Darfur: Livelihoods Under Siege

It is almost two years since the beginning of the rebel insurgency in Darfur, but the conflict continues, the ceasefire has been frequently violated, and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis…

Policies, Practice and Participation in Complex Emergencies: The Case of Livestock Interventions in South Sudan

This case study examines how alternative approaches to rinderpest eradication evolved in the complex emergency context of southern Sudan. It also explores how initial experiences informed the establishment of a large scale community based animal health worker (CAHW) system.

Ambiguity and Change

This study provides international NGOs with a rudimentary framework for strategic planning in the light of the likely challenges of ambiguity and change awaiting them during the next decade. It…

FEINSTEIN RESEARCH PROJECTS

Feed the Future Pastoralism in Africa

The Feed the Future Pastoralism in Africa project focuses on developing learning materials for USAID on pastoralism. The primer is accompanied by six briefs that provide more detailed information on specific topics: gender, markets, conflict, land, water, and climate.

USAID Nawiri Research and Learning

USAID Nawiri is an evidence-based development project to address acute malnutrition in northern Kenya. Catholic Relief Services leads a consortium in Isiolo and Marsabit counties, and Feinstein provides research and capacity-building support.

Karamoja Resilience Support Unit

The Karamoja Resilience Support Unit (KRSU) is an initiative of USAID/Uganda aimed at increasing resilience and economic development in the Karamoja Region of Uganda.

Synthesizing Research on Resilience in Drylands and Fragile Contexts Project

From 2005 to 2017, we developed a wide-ranging research portfolio on livelihoods systems under stress throughout the Greater Horn of Africa and beyond. This project synthesizes key themes of that research.

The Agriculture Knowledge, Learning, Documentation and Policy Project (AKLDP)

The AKLDP is a five-year project of USAID Ethiopia which provides collaborative learning and coordination support across the Feed the Future portfolio, leading to improved agriculture, livestock and pastoral policy and programming.

Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards

The Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) have been developed as a set of international standards and guidelines for the assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation of livestock interventions to assist people affected by humanitarian crises.

Policy Support to the Pastoralist Livelihoods Initiative, Ethiopia

This project aimed to strengthen policy and practice in selected pastoralist areas of Ethiopia.

Evaluation of Community-based Animal Health in the Horn of Africa

This project is a collaboration between Feinstein and Vetwork UK to evaluate community-based animal health worker (CAHW) services in Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan on behalf of the US Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

Milk Matters: Improving the Health and Nutritional Status of Children in Pastoral Communities

This project seeks primarily to clarify some of the underlying causes of the chronically high levels of acute malnutrition found in pastoral regions in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Uganda.

BRIDGES

The BRIDGES project aimed to strengthen the capacity of state and non-state actors in the Somali region of Ethiopia to promote peace and stability through the delivery of quality education.

Moving Up, Moving Out

This project expands on initial research on the impacts of livestock commercialization in pastoralist areas of Africa.

Pastoralist Areas Coordination, Analysis and Policy Support (PACAPS), East Africa

The Pastoral Areas Coordination, Analysis and Policy Support (PACAPS) Project took place between July 2007 and March 2010. Through the project we developed a variety of materials, including technical studies, policy briefs, presentations at workshops and meetings, and training materials.

Regional Policy Support to IGAD

The study on livestock exports and related benefits has helped to raise awareness of processes of commercialization in pastoralist areas, and how this trend contributes to a robust group of commercial actors on the one side, and increasing pastoral destitution on the other.

Livestock Interventions in Complex Emergencies: South Sudan and Somalia case studies

This project consists of two case studies on large-scale livestock programs in South Sudan and Somalia, focusing on issues of program impacts, coordination, and community participation.

Community Animal Health and Participatory Epidemiology (CAPE)

This project supported community-based animal health worker (CAHW) systems in pastoralist areas, and contributed to the final eradication of rinderpest under the Pan African Program for the Control of Epizootics.