Developing a Livestock Agri-Food Systems Research Program for the CGIAR: Background and guiding questions for face to face consultations

Developing a Livestock Agri-Food Systems Research Program for

the CGIAR: Background and guiding questions for face to face

consultations

Shirley Tarawali and Peter Ballantyne

January 2016

Overview

• Why livestock?• The global context for livestock research for development

• Challenges?• How can we organise a research for development program to

address the complexity and diversity of the livestock sector, without being unfocused?

• Research that delivers development outcomes and impacts

• Integration of solutions • Multiple balances and trade-offs • Imperatives for delivery

The Livestock Agri-food Systems CGIAR Research Program

Seizes the opportunity:

– Rapid increase in demand for animal-source foods in developing countries

– Current suppliers of these being many millions of smallholder farmers

Through:

– Providing research based solutions to drive the transition to sustainable, resilient livelihoods and diets for future generations

Why livestock?

Animal source foods: 5 of 6 highest value global commodities (total value of these 5=US Int $715 billion)

FAOSTAT 2015

(values for 2013)

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Key drivers: population, income, urbanization

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FAO, 2011Based on anticipated change in absolute tonnes of product comparing 2000 and 2030

Huge increases over 2005/7 amountsof cereals, dairy and meat will be needed by 2050

From 2bn−3bntonnes cereals each year

From 664m−1bntonnes dairy each year

From 258m−460m tonnes meat each year

Demand for livestock commodities in developing economies will be met—the question is how

Scenario #1Meeting livestock demand byimporting livestock products

Scenario #2Meeting livestock demand by

importing livestock industrial production know-how

Scenario #3Meeting livestock demand by

transforming smallholder livestock systems

Replacing the 90% of locally produced animal commodities with imports is not feasible

Economically

Africa’s food import bill (2013): US $ 44 billion

About one fifth is livestock (highest after cereals):Meat: US $ 5 billion; Milk: US $ 4 billion

Business as usual: the import bill doubles

Various sources:BMGF, FAO and ILRI

Smallholders still dominatelivestock production in many countries

Region(definition of ‘smallholder’)

% production by smallholder livestock farms

Beef Chickenmeat

Sheep/goat meat

Milk Pork Eggs

East Africa(≤ 6 milking animals)

60-90

Bangladesh(< 3ha land)

65 77 78 65 77

India(< 2ha land)

75 92 92 69 71

Vietnam (small scale)

80

Philippines(backyard)

50 35

Smallholders: part of the development

• Not sentimentality or a belief in “small is beautiful”

• Based on the evidence and the dual objectives of

– increasing animal source food supply to consumers

– supporting rural development and livelihoods

• The evidence:

– They produce the bulk of the livestock (and half of crop) products in

developing countries so need to be part of increase supply strategy

– They continue to be competitive so wont go away on their own

– Does not detract from investing in larger commercial systems

Livestock and livelihoods

70% of the world’s rural poor rely on livestock for important parts of their livelihoods.

Of the more than 600 million poor livestock keepers in the world, around two-thirds are rural women.

For the vulnerable, up to 40% of benefits from livestock keeping come from non-market, intangible benefits, mostly insurance and financing.

In the poorest countries, livestock manure comprises over 70% of soil fertility amendments.

Many employed in local informal livestock product markets

• 90% of animal products are produced and consumed in the same country or region

• Over 70% of livestock products are sold ‘informally’

Why livestock?New, unprecedented opportunities to: • Address smallholder food and nutritional security

• Transform livelihoods and rural economies• Ensure rapidly developing animal agriculture is

sustainable

Why livestock?

1. a) Have we made the case for a focus on smallholder-based systems?b)Is anything crucial missing?

2. Are there other aspects from ILRI’s global perspective that should be considered?

Challenges?

Complexity(cannot do everything)

Global diversity(cannot be everywhere)

Distilling complexity - Distinguishing opportunities

Distilling complexity - Distinguishing opportunitiesTrajectory Sector Opportunities for research to address development

challenges

‘Strong growth’ Intensifying and increasingly market oriented often transforming smallholder systems

Ruminant meat and milk, esp. in SSA, India− Pork in some regions.Priority value chains (livestock and fish CRP); some rangeland systems (systems CRPs)

Sustainable food systems that deliver key animal-source nutrients Facilitating a structural transition to fewer households raising more productive animals in more efficient, intensive and market-linked systems Market access and food safety; (Zoonotic outbreaks)

‘High growth with externalities’Intensified livestock systems with challenges including the environment and public health

Mostly monogastric− China for all commodities.A4NH, CCAFS, WLE especially per-urban locations

Incentives, technologies, strategies and product and organizational innovations that mitigate the environmental and public health risks and facilitate participation of the poor in livestock markets and other business opportunities.

‘Fragile growth’ Where

remoteness, marginal land resources or agro climatic vulnerability restrict intensification

Some smallholder andpastoral systems; little part in the production response.Selected systems CRP locations

Enhance the essential roles of livestock in the resilience of people and communities to variability in weather, markets or resource demandsProtection of assets (eg insurance) and conservation of natural resources. Opportunities such as payment for ecosystem services could become increasingly important

Distilling complexity - Distinguishing opportunitiesTrajectory Sector Opportunities for research to address development

challenges

‘Strong growth’ Intensifying and increasingly market oriented often transforming smallholder systems

Ruminant meat and milk, esp. in SSA, India− Pork in some regions.Priority value chains (livestock and fish CRP); some rangeland systems (systems CRPs)

Sustainable food systems that deliver key animal-source nutrients Facilitating a structural transition to fewer households raising more productive animals in more efficient, intensive and market-linked systems Market access and food safety; (Zoonotic outbreaks)

‘High growth with externalities’Intensified livestock systems with challenges including the environment and public health

Mostly monogastric− China for all commodities.A4NH, CCAFS, WLE especially per-urban locations

Incentives, technologies, strategies and product and organizational innovations that mitigate the environmental and public health risks and facilitate participation of the poor in livestock markets and other business opportunities.

‘Fragile growth’ Where

remoteness, marginal land resources or agro climatic vulnerability restrict intensification

Some smallholder andpastoral systems; little part in the production response.Selected systems CRP locations

Enhance the essential roles of livestock in the resilience of people and communities to variability in weather, markets or resource demandsProtection of assets (eg insurance) and conservation of natural resources. Opportunities such as payment for ecosystem services could become increasingly important

Global diversity: selected priority locations

Inclusive sustainable intensification (value chains): Nicaragua, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania

and VietnamResilience: building on the systems work in Nicaragua, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and

Vietnam

Sites pending resources and further assessment: Burkina Faso, Morocco, India and sites in Central

Asia, southern Africa.

Challenges?

Complexity3. Does the organization of research for development priorities around trajectories of change miss anything?

4. What are the top issues driving research on sustainable intensification of livestock-based systems?

5. What are the top issues driving research on enhanced resilience for livestock-based livelihoods?

Global diversity6. Which criteria should drive decisions on which

countries, value chains or animal species to work on?

Research that delivers development outcomes and

impacts

Integration of solutions

Multiple balances and trade-offs:

technology, institutional, livelihood, environmental,

economic, nutritional

Imperatives for delivery

Animal genetics

Animal health

Animal feeds

Livestock livelihoods and

agri-food systems

Livestock and the

environment

• Gender informed prioritisation and targeting;

• New technological solutions;• Delivery mechanisms• Capacity to undertake research

• Gender; organizational; systems; policy; consumer demand

• Integrative research, piloting and scaling:• Animal source food

systems• Livestock based livelihoods

• Practice: Bundles of technological innovations and tools, business models, proof of concept for wider implementation at scale

• Influence: Improved institutional approaches and arrangements, communications

• Capacity: Of individuals and institutions to undertake, and to use, research

Animal genetics

Animal health

Animal feeds

Livestock livelihoods and agri-

food systems

Livestock and the

environment

• Practice: Bundles of technological innovations and tools, business models, proof of concept for wider implementation at scale

• Influence: Improved institutional approaches and arrangements, communications

• Capacity: Of individuals and institutions to undertake, and to use, research

International public goods – new

technological and methodological breakthroughs

International public goods – new

knowledge and evidence relevant to livestock trajectories

Local public goodsTransformed value

chains;Resilient

communitiesN

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sCapacity to use research results

Gender and youth

transformationCommunication

Animal genetics

Animal genetics

Animal health

Animal feeds


food systems

Livestock and the

environment

Choices of improved breeds readily available, affordable and used widely and sustainably

- Understanding, characterisation, utilization and conservation of livestock phenotypes and genotypes in relation to future production systems

- New and appropriate breeds: application of new opportunities in genomic and reproductive technologies

- Effective delivery systems: breeding schemes, institutional arrangements

- Policy and institutional support - New opportunities for business: especially

involving youth and women- Increased capacity to undertake research in

livestock genetics and genomics

Animal health

Animal genetics

Animal health

Animal feeds


food systems

Livestock and the

environment

Builds on decades of research and combines advances in vaccinology and diagnostics with refined herd health management to improve productivity and mitigate disease risks

- Evaluate animal health constraints and threats: methods and tools to identify the extent and impact of animal health constraints and how these are changing

- Refine and adapt holistic herd health management approaches: impact of biosecurity, animal welfare and rational use of drugs

- Develop diagnostics and vaccines: new products for monitoring and control of livestock diseases in the targeted livestock production systems

- Develop delivery models to improve access to animal health services and products: demand-driven and gender-responsive delivery models

Animal feeds and forages

Animal genetics

Animal health

Animal feeds


food systems

Livestock and the

environment

Increase livestock productivity by identifying, testing and delivering superior feed and forage strategies responding to evolving demands for animal-source foods- Builds on CG forage genebanks and feeds work;

applies new science- More and better feeds: new feeds and forages;

new strategies to use existing feeds and forages better

- Cross CRP platforms: ‘full purpose crops’; biological nitrogen fixation

- Options for delivery at scale of feed and forage technologies (eg seed systems etc); opportunities for women, youth, new private enterprises

Livestock and the environment

Animal genetics

Animal health

Animal feeds


food systems

Livestock and the

environment

A reduced environmental footprint and enhanced positive ecosystem services from livestock systems that are adapted to environmental change- Assess the environmental sustainability,

efficiency and adaptability of livestock production technologies

- Optimize natural resource use and enhance the provision of ecosystem services - exploring, testing and disseminating innovative livestock management solutions with end users

- Develop and support improved institutions and other governance mechanisms for environmental solutions

Unique role: to contribute evidence to the global debate on livestock and the environment that is particular to the developing world; and using field research to provide context-specific solutions

Livestock livelihoods and agri-food systems

Animal genetics

Animal health

Animal feeds


food systems

Livestock and the

environment

Integrative research to improve animal source food systems and livestock based livelihoods- Systems analysis for priority setting and scaling

and on livestock sector development- Gender-based analysis to inform research

priority setting and equitable outcomes- Enhanced nutrition through livestock: nutrition-

sensitive and cost-effective livestock interventions, market and investment assessment and opportunities to improve nutrition

- Improving livelihoods of smallholder livestock keepers and their capacity to cope with shocks

- Enabling policies, markets and institutions- Systematic learning to facilitate scaling of

innovations related to the unique opportunities of livestock systems

Partnerships

Partners contribute to discovery and delivery objectives of the Program: global to regional to national to local; from research to development; and from public to civil to private sector –specific to each flagship and site

Strategic partners have a long-term multi-faceted engagement to deliver the CRP portfolio

Collaborators implement joint activities with the Program because they share interest in achieving specific activity objectives for a restricted set of deliverables – specific to each flagship and site

Strategic partners

German Development Agency (GIZ)

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

International Livestock Research Institute

International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR)

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

Capacity to use research results

Gender and youth


A strategic enabler in the complex process of achieving development outcomes through research

Multiple levels—individual, organizational and institutional—and covers a wider scope than the mere transfer of knowledge and skills through training.

A key to engage with stakeholders in multiple ways and at different levels to ensure research outputs are taken to scale.

Particular emphasis on the ‘design and delivery of innovative learning materials and approaches’ and ‘developing future research leaders through fellowships’


Gender and youth


Gender-integrated research—the coordination and consolidation of gender research across the portfolio

How gender (in-)equality affects the technological and institutional solutions that are designed, delivered and studied

How technological and institutional solutions impact on gender relations

Strategic gender research—specific research activities to inform the whole portfolio and beyond

How gender norms and structures shape the social/institutional context

Transformative approaches to addressing gender-based constraints

Opportunities for equitable livestock-related livelihoods and for equitable access, control and intake of animal-source foods


Gender and youth


Robust communication, engagement, data and knowledge management processes help in uptake and achieving outcomes. They also contribute to program effectiveness, learning and accountability.

Across the program, advocacy, awareness, engagement, collaboration, publishing and curation activities will:

Support partnerships and policy processes so results are scaled.

Communicate about the program, the science, results and progress towards achieving results.

Promote learning and sharing to improve program effectiveness and collaboration.

Make CRP information, data and intellectual assets open and accessible.

Together, deliver CGIAR policies on intellectual assets, open access and research data management.

Guided by ‘open’ science and collaboration principles.

Research that delivers development outcomes and impacts

Integration of solutions 7. Do we have the right ingredients for stepwise,

transformative changes leading to sustainable, resilient livestock systems?

8. How best can we integrate capacity development, gender, communications?


9. Are there any categories of partners missing?

10. What are key roles for the private sector for livestock?

And public sector?

Overview

• Why livestock?• The global context for livestock research for development

• Challenges?• How can we organise a research for development program to

address the complexity and diversity of the livestock sector, without being unfocused?

• Research that delivers development outcomes and impacts

• Integration of solutions • Multiple balances and trade-offs • Imperatives for delivery

Recap of questions

Why livestock?

1. a) Have we made the case for a focus on smallholder-based systems?b)Is anything crucial missing?

2. Are there other aspects from ILRI’s global perspective that should be considered?

Challenges?

Complexity3. Does the organization of research for development priorities around trajectories of change miss anything?

4. What are the top issues driving research on sustainable intensification of livestock-based systems?

5. What are the top issues driving research on enhanced resilience for livestock-based livelihoods?

Global diversity6. Which criteria should drive decisions on which

countries, value chains or animal species to work on?

Research that delivers development outcomes and impacts

Integration of solutions 7. Do we have the right ingredients for stepwise,

transformative changes leading to sustainable, resilient livestock systems?

8. How best can we integrate capacity development, gender, communications?


9. Are there any categories of partners missing?

10. What are key roles for the private sector for livestock?

And public sector?