Hendrix Genetics recognized by FAO for advancing sustainable poultry breeding in Africa

AFRICA – Hendrix Genetics, a global poultry breeding firm, has received recognition from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for its role in promoting sustainable poultry production in Africa.

Rural poultry farmers in Africa often face challenges including extreme temperatures, limited feed, and disease outbreaks that reduce flock output.

To tackle these issues, Hendrix Genetics launched the Sustainable Access to Poultry Parent Stock in Africa (SAPPSA) program in 2018, co-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to provide reliable access to high-quality chickens for smallholder farmers.

The SAPPSA initiative delivers dual-purpose breeds capable of producing both meat and eggs efficiently, and these birds are specifically selected to withstand heat, resist common diseases, and thrive in low-input farming conditions.

Since its inception, the program has reached over 31 million farmers across Africa, expanding annually as more communities gain access to poultry adapted to local farming realities.

A key element of SAPPSA is a recurrent testing program in Burkina Faso, conducted with a local avian selection center, where chickens are exposed to village conditions to assess performance under heat stress, limited feed, and natural disease exposure.

This testing allows the identification of breeds that perform consistently in rural settings, offering farmers productive flocks without the need for costly inputs.

Richard Maatman, CEO of Hendrix Genetics, described the FAO award as a confirmation of the company’s commitment to animal welfare, social impact, and environmentally responsible practices, emphasizing that sustainability guides their work from breeding through distribution.

Beyond breeding, Hendrix Genetics collaborates with the International Egg Foundation in Mozambique to operate a poultry training center where students learn egg production, flock management, feeding strategies, and biosecurity practices.

The company supports the training center with layer chickens, giving students practical experience in managing productive flocks and understanding poultry behavior.

In addition, Hendrix Genetics has introduced measures to reduce its environmental footprint, including a global travel policy focused on sustainability and a carbon offset initiative funding community reforestation projects.

Through these programs, the company seeks to address climate challenges while helping improve rural food security and strengthen agricultural systems across Africa.

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