Livestock science with the end in mind:
discovering and delivering solutions for a
sustainable, healthy livestock sector
Better lives through livestock
Jimmy Smith, director general,
International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya
26 January 2018
Edinburgh

Opportunities and challenges
Demand for milk, meat and eggs is growing rapidly in
developing countries, driven by increasing
population, urbanization and rising incomes
In these same regions, livestock commodities are
today produced by some three-quarters of a billion
smallholder farmers
The livestock sector contributes at least 40% of
agricultural GDP but receives less than 1% of ODA
The transition needed to address demand presents
opportunities to:
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
1980
1990
2002
2015
2030
2050
Million
metric
tonnes
developing
developed
meat consumption
0
2
4
6
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
agric as % ODA Livestock as % agric
Livestock as % ODA
Strengthen the role
of the sector in
supporting
livelihoods as part
of an inclusive
transformation
Mitigate the
potential
environmental and
human health
harms of the sector

The role of livestock research: discovering
solutions for inclusive transformation
• Improve animal productivity through technical
options for better genetics, disease control and
sustainable nutrition
• Provide solutions to mitigate the impacts of
livestock on the environment, and enhance
resilience to climate change
• Improve livelihoods and deliver safe, quality
livestock foods to those who need them most
(animal source foods are essential for the first 1000
days)

The role of livestock research: discovering
solutions for inclusive transformation
Solutions for livestock and zoonotic
diseases
Solutions to mitigate the impacts of
livestock on the environment, and
enhance resilience to climate change Mobilize biosciences to accelerate
Africa’s agricultural development
Improve livelihoods and access to
quality livestock foods
Take livestock research solutions to
scale
Improve animal production efficiency
through better nutrition
Improve genetics for better productivity
and profitability

Nuancing messages about livestock
Strong voices (of the North) must not drown out the
often contrasting roles of livestock in developing
economies
Partnerships and initiatives that connect across and
beyond the livestock sector are needed
Investments in livestock (research, development) can
tackle–not ignore–challenges with evidence-based
solutions

Livestock: misperceptions and facts
Moderate grazing is good for biodiversity of wildlife and plants
57% of land used for feed production is not suitable for crop
production
86% of the dry matter eaten by animals cannot be consumed by
humans
Diets with some animal source foods use less land than vegan
alternatives
Is livestock production responsible for the destruction of habitats,
damaging biodiversity through:
- over-grazing
- cultivation of pastures and feed crops?
Emissions from livestock are about 14% of all human-induced
emissions (less than transport, energy and industry)
[these calculations from IPCC are based on developed country
data; figures for developing countries may be considerably lower]
Within agriculture, which makes up 24% of global emissions,
livestock presents the biggest opportunity to reduce emissions –
by at least 30%
Livestock are essential for resilient food systems
[manure, traction, risk management]
Is livestock production a major cause of climate change through:
- GHG emissions from animals
- land clearing for pastures and feed crops?
30% of the World’s protein comes from animal-source foods
Animal-source foods contain B12, micronutrients and more
bioavailable macronutrients than plant-based foods
Animal-source foods are essential in the first 1000 days of life
Milk improves growth, preventing stunting
Meat improves cognitive ability
Is consumption of animal-source foods bad for your health causing:
- obesity
- cancers, diabetes
- food-borne disease?
Whilst conditions for livestock raised in some industrial systems
needs to be addressed
For the millions of animals raised in smallholder systems:
- Animals are treated with considerable care and respect
(‘like family members’)
- Delivering scientific solutions for health and nutrition contributes
to improved animal welfare
Is livestock production deleterious to animal welfare?

Is livestock production responsible for the destruction of
habitats, damaging biodiversity through:
- over-grazing
- cultivation of pastures and feed crops?
Moderate grazing is good for biodiversity of
wildlife and plants
57% of land used for feed production is not
suitable for crop production
86% of the dry matter eaten by animals cannot be
consumed by humans
Diets with some animal source foods use less land
than vegan alternatives

Is livestock production a major cause of climate change
through:
- GHG emissions from animals
- land clearing for pastures and feed crops?
Emissions from livestock are about 14% of all human-induced
emissions (less than transport, energy and industry)
[these calculations from IPCC are based on developed country data;
figures for developing countries may be considerably lower]
Within agriculture, which makes up 24% of global emissions,
livestock presents the biggest opportunity to reduce emissions – by
at least 30%
Livestock are essential for resilient food systems
[manure, traction, risk management]

Is consumption of animal-source foods bad for your health
causing:
- obesity
- cancers, diabetes
- food-borne disease?
30% of the World’s protein comes from animal-source
foods
Animal-source foods contain B12, micronutrients and
more bioavailable macronutrients than plant-based foods
Animal-source foods are essential in the first 1000 days of
life
Milk improves growth, preventing stunting
Meat improves cognitive ability

This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
better lives through livestock
ilri.org
ILRI thanks all donors and organizations which globally supported its work through their contributions
to the CGIAR system