Group photo with Dr Andrew Karanja, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, ILRI leadership team, Former ILRI Director Generals and ILRI Board members. Photo Credit: ILRI/ Geoffrey Njenga).
By Murimi Gitari, November 29, 2024, The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is celebrating five decades of pioneering research and partnerships dedicated to transforming livestock systems for better lives and a better planet.
As a leader in livestock research, ILRI has consistently advanced sustainable solutions for food security, climate resilience, and environmental health. With the launch of its new corporate strategy for 2024-2030, ILRI is poised to scale its impact, addressing the most pressing development challenges through research and collaboration.
Speaking during the 50 years anniversary celebrations at the Nairobi Campus, Dr. Andrew Karanja, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development while appreciating the achievements ILRI has made so far, recognized its to efforts to respond to the challenges Kenya and the region faces with groundbreaking solutions.
“Climate change threatens our ecosystems, food systems, and way of life. Population growth demands more efficient and sustainable use of our resources.From climate-smart agriculture to innovations that link smallholder farmers to markets, ILRI remains a crucial partner in Kenya’s journey toward sustainable development,” Dr Karanja said.
He added that research is at the heart of progress and ILRI’s ability to combine global expertise with local understanding has made it an invaluable asset to Kenya. Noting that through collaboration, the region can unlock even greater potential, not only for the livestock sector but also for agriculture as a whole.
“This partnership aligns seamlessly with Kenya’s Vision 2030, which emphasizes the need for innovative, market-driven approaches to development. Livestock remains a key pillar of this vision, and with ILRI’s support, we are confident in achieving sustainable growth and improved livelihoods for all Kenyans,” the Cabinet Secretary noted.
Ethiopia’s State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Fikru Regassa, who was also a guest in the celnbrations but attending virtually, highlighted that the country has benefitted a lot from ILRI’s research and contributions that have been extensive and transformative.
This includes enhancements in animal genetics, particularly in dairy and poultry that have been made alongside advancements in animal health, feeds, forages, nutrition and improved husbandry practices tailored to Ethiopia’s unique context.
According to the minister, there has been significant progress in rangeland management and the introduction of Index-Based Livestock Insurance have been vital resilience-building tools for our pastoral communities.
Also, capacity building in these areas has strengthened the skills and knowledge of the country’s professionals and close collaboration on policy development has resulted in key strategies such as the National Dairy Development Strategy and the Poultry Development Strategy, directly supporting government initiatives, including the Yelemat Tirufat program.
ILRI partnering for change in Kenya
In Kenya, ILRI works with Kenyan ministries, research institutes, universities and local government offices, as well as with nongovernmental organizations, private companies and local communities. It has its main MOU with the Kenyan Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)/ In partnership with KALRO ILRI has over the years supported the dairy, poultry and small ruminant sectors.
This includes livestock genetics, such as the Tropical Poultry Genetic Solutions (TPGS) project, the African Dairy Genetic Gains (ADGG) project, and the biobanking of Kenyan chicken genetic resources. It also involves improving animal nutrition through research on forages, including exploring sequence diversity in Napier grass and identifying Brachiaria grasses for dairy production. Additionally, addressing animal health challenges through vaccine research is a focus, with current work including clinical trials to develop a subunit vaccine for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Kenya.
Research also includes restoration and sustaining rangelands and communities, building climate smart livestock-based systems through mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable intensification of crop-livestock systems along with projects in One Health.
ILRI’s new strategy: Unlocking sustainable livestock’s potential
The ILRI corporate strategy for 2024-2030—Unlocking Sustainable Livestock’s Potential Through Research for Better Lives and a Better Planet—focuses on two mutually dependent objectives: co-designing and deploying sustainable livestock innovations, and leveraging scientific evidence for policy and investment decisions.
The key messages derived from the strategy include tailoring interventions to specific livestock value chains and local contexts to ensure resilient and equitable transitions, providing evidence-based advice to policymakers and investors to foster sustainable development, strengthening collaborations with local, national, and global partners to co-create solutions that meet the needs of diverse communities, and securing sustainable resources for research and innovation to maximize the impact on people’s lives.
By pursuing these objectives, ILRI aims to positively impact the lives of over 300 million people, addressing key development issues such as food security, poverty reduction, and climate change. This new strategy builds upon ILRI’s 50-year legacy of partnerships, groundbreaking research, and innovations that have significantly advanced livestock health, productivity, and environmental sustainability.
“ILRI’s new strategy is centred on ‘Unlocking sustainable livestock’s potential through research for better lives and a better planet’. This, along with the new ILRI research and innovation strategy, will inspire new directions and allow our research to benefit hundreds of millions of more people, by deploying scalable solutions while influencing policies and investments to achieve significant impacts,” said Appolinaire Djikeng, ILRI Director General.
“Building on our five decades of successful collaboration, this new strategy represents a critical step forward in harnessing the power of livestock research to achieve food systems transformation,” added Namukulo Covic, CGIAR Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.
Building on 50 years of innovation and collaboration
Through partnerships with governments, NGOs, the private sector, and local communities, ILRI’s work has empowered farmers, livestock keepers, and communities to build more resilient food systems, even in the face of climate change and other global challenges.
As the world faces complex and interrelated development challenges, ILRI remains committed to fostering partnerships that support the adoption of sustainable livestock solutions. The institute’s research continues to drive improvements in the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of livestock systems, particularly in Africa and Asia, where demand for animal products is growing rapidly.
As the institute embarks on its next 50 years, it calls on players from all sectors to join in supporting the transformation of livestock systems for a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient world.
Established on 21 September 1994 as an international not-for-profit livestock research organization, ILRI was founded through an Establishing Agreement signed by the Governments of Kenya, Ethiopia, Denmark, Sweden, the Swiss Confederation, and the United Nations Environment Programme. Its headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, and it is co-hosted by the Government of Ethiopia through a Host Country Agreement with the Government of Kenya, signed on 29 December 1994, and with the Government of Ethiopia, signed on 8 June 1995.As one of the 15 CGIAR research centers, the institute works with a diverse network of partners to develop innovative livestock solutions that have development impacts. The institute’s approach harnesses cutting-edge research not only to increase productivity but also to ensure that livestock systems contribute to climate resilience, environmental sustainability and inclusive development.
