Better lives through livestock: ILRI’s livestock
research for development approach
Boleslaw Stawicki
Workshop on transforming livelihoods in South Asia through sustainable
livestock research and development
Kathmandu, Nepal, 13-14 November 2018

ILRI - a brief overview
- ILRI contributes to the achievement of SDGs
by delivering research-based solutions in the
area of livestock.
- A CGIAR research centre: A global research
partnership of 15 centres working for a food
secure future.
- ILRI: co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia; 14
other offices.
- ILRI research programmes:
- Genetics
- Feeds and forages
- Sustainable livestock systems
- Animal and human health
- Policies, institutions and livelihoods
- Impact at Scale
- Partnerships are key: research institutes,
regional bodies, governments, delivery actors,
donors.
ILRI’s mission:
improve food and nutritional security
and to reduce poverty in developing
countries through research for
efficient, safe and sustainable
use of livestock —
ensuring better lives through livestock

South Asia is a priority region for ILRI -
overview of selected projects
Project name Impact
Sindh Agricultural Growth
Project
Part of a USD 88m initiative: equitable growth
through productivity improvement and market access.
ILRI contribution: technology development,
dissemination, capacity building.
Enhancing livelihoods
through livestock knowledge
systems
Substantial poverty reduction thanks to innovative
technologies and policies.
Feed the Future innovation
lab for livestock systems
To sustainably intensify smallholder livestock systems
through research, technology application, capacity
building. Result: income and productivity gains,
improved nutrition and food safety.
Cereal Systems Initiative for
South Asia
Rice, wheat and maize cultivars selection, breeding
and dissemination leading to improved feeding
through on farm feed processing such as chopping or
supplementation.

Research for development approach
underpinned by partnerships
ILRI delivers innovations which are implemented by partners
- Basic premise: socio-economic transformation and
environmental sustainability can only come about if
underpinned by innovative solutions.
- ILRI’s core business is to conduct relevant and world leading
research in livestock areas which benefits communities in the
developing world.
- ILRI’s research is identified and defined in the context of
global, regional and national developmental challenges.
- ILRI conducts research in partnerships with national and
regional research partners.
- Partnerships with governments, donors and implementing
partners are key.
- Impact pathways and product lines guide our activities from
research to impact.
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Outcomes
Impact

Index-based livestock insurance - greater
resilience of vulnerable communities
Scaling by governments and private sector partners
- IBLI - an innovative insurance product
developed for livestock communities in arid
and semi arid areas.
- Asset preserving rather than asset
replacing.
- Research: design, development and
implementation of market mediated index-
based insurance.
- Relies on satellite imaging and big data.
- IBLI has been integrated into national
livestock programs in Kenya and Ethiopia.
- Results:
- Improved food and nutrition security,
- Strengthened resilience and
- Increased incomes.
Improved nutrition –
insurance holders less likely
to skip meals
Technologically advanced
innovation based on
satellite imaging
Reduced cattle mortality.
USD 16m – approx. value
of sustained cattle in Kenya
in 2017 only
Increased incomes due to
the ability of selling cattle
at peak demand

African chicken genetic gains: inclusion,
better nutrition, resilience and incomes
- Research: testing and improvement of
chicken genetics.
- Chickens are more disease resistant, lay up to
200% more eggs and grow 300% quicker
than indigenous breeds.
- Predictable and consistent quality of chickens
as well as eggs allow market linkages and
commercialization of subsistence farmers.
- Part of LiveGene – linkages with national
agricultural research systems for impact.
Women at the centre – a strong equitable growth component
Genetically improved breeds
are more productive than
indigenous breeds
Women representation is
high in the poultry value
chain
Increased food security and
strengthened nutrition
Economic transformation
grounded in higher incomes
and commercialisation
- Results:
- Improved food security and nutrition,
- Commercialisation and formalization of
subsistence farmers,
- Women empowerment,
- Increased incomes.

Assam pig and dairy agribusiness and rural
transformation project
- APART – research for development project in
Assam, India targeting the dairy and pig
sectors.
- ILRI provides evidence, technologies,
capacity building, tools and guidance in order
to:
- Increase productivity,
- Improve quality,
- Increase food safety and
- Reduce waste and spoilage.
This project has a very high replication potential
Research delivers
transformation
75 000 direct beneficiaries
and 10 – 15 million indirect
beneficiaries
Increased food security and
strengthened nutrition
Expected direct monetary
benefit USD 2.6 m/
annum*
*estimate based on the increase in milk
production and reduction of piglet mortality
- Expected results:
- Improved food security and nutrition,
- Increased efficiency and
- Increased incomes.

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 support its work through their contributions to
the CGIAR system