Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, the Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) addresses delegates during the opening ceremony of the 9th Greenhouse Gas & Animal Agricultural Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo Credit: ILRI
By Murimi Gitari, October 07, 2025, For the first time in its history, the International Greenhouse Gas & Animal Agriculture Conference (GGAA) is being held on African soil, marking a pivotal moment for the global livestock sector. The 9th edition of the conference, GGAA 2025, is underway in Nairobi, Kenya—a continent that is home to one-third of the world’s livestock—ushering in a new era of inclusive, globally representative dialogue on mitigating livestock emissions while strengthening food security and rural economies.
Co-hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), GGAA 2025 brings together more than 500 leading scientists, policymakers, industry experts, and civil society representatives. The conference aims to tackle one of agriculture’s most pressing challenges: reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock while safeguarding food security, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience.
Centering the Global South in the Climate-Livestock Dialogue
The decision to host GGAA 2025 in Nairobi underscores Africa’s central role in shaping a sustainable future for livestock production. In many African countries, livestock contributes up to 80% of national GDP and accounts for nearly 0.8 gigatons of annual greenhouse gas emissions. By convening the conference in Kenya, organizers are amplifying the voices of low- and middle-income countries in global climate discussions and providing a platform to address the unique challenges and opportunities faced by smallholder farmers, who form the backbone of livestock production across the continent.
The conference agenda is built around the principle that “one size does not fit all.” Solutions that work in high-productivity systems in Europe or North America—such as feed additives for cows producing 40–50 litres of milk per day—are often not feasible for smallholder systems in Africa, where cows may yield only 5–6 litres. For these farmers, the most impactful emissions reduction strategies lie in improving animal health, enhancing feed quality, and implementing genetic improvements to boost productivity and reduce emissions intensity.
“Bringing GGAA to Nairobi is a deliberate and significant move,” said Claudia Arndt, Senior Scientist at ILRI and Team Leader of the Mazingira Centre. “Low- and middle-income developing country livestock systems have been under-represented in global climate science. GGAA 2025 changes that. We are showcasing research from low- and middle-income countries, particularly Africa where we have 17 countries represented. This is where we can forge a sustainable future for the global livestock sector, one that is built on context-specific solutions.”
Showcasing Achievable, Climate-Smart Solutions
GGAA 2025 emphasizes that climate-smart livestock is not a distant aspiration but a present-day reality. Research presented at the conference demonstrates that integrated strategies in animal nutrition, health, genetics, and manure management can reduce livestock greenhouse gas emissions by 20–50%, while simultaneously increasing productivity and farmer incomes.
Among the innovations being showcased are:
- Genomic selection tools for breeding low-methane livestock
- ‘Exhalomics’ technology for real-time cow breath analysis to monitor methane emissions
- Circular manure systems that cut emissions by up to 90% while generating renewable energy and organic fertilizer
- Animal health interventions, with new modeling showing that reducing disease could lower emissions intensity by up to 12%
- Forage innovations that enhance productivity and reduce methane output
- Digital farm tools and carbon accounting systems for emissions tracking and management
Academic and policy sessions will delve into key themes including rumen microbial genomics, manure management, greenhouse gas measurement techniques, and policy frameworks for integrating livestock into national climate commitments.
“We want GGAA 2025 to be a springboard for lasting partnerships that ensure solutions are farmer-ready, affordable, and equitable and support resilient livelihoods,” said Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of ILRI. “We don’t have to choose between food security and climate mitigation as the priority pathway for both is to improve livestock productivity. Farmer-ready solutions are proving it’s possible to do both. The goal is to cut emissions while raising yields—that’s the win-win of climate-smart livestock.”
