Investing in the future in sustainable livestock systems – Stimulating action and impact
Overview
Investment in livestock and climate solutions lags far behind within agricultural investments. Addressing livestock’s GHG footprint alongside its livelihood and nutritional contributions requires greater investment in the generation and application of solutions. The session will highlight the important benefits of investing in sustainable livestock systems for achieving SDGs and optimizing environmental impact, while producing nutrient-dense food and supporting economic and social sustainability. Drawing on public and private sector insights from the Americas and Africa, we will highlight how investment spurs innovations, policies and platforms that can shift the livestock sector toward achieving the goals of food security, economic returns to farmers and adaptation and mitigation goals while conserving nature.
Co-organized by ILRI and IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture)
Part 1: The Case for livestock and current state of play – The Americas experience
How livestock production in the Americas has been progressively moving up the sustainability ladder, using evidence-based assessments, and what are the exciting innovations coming from the sector for climate resilience and mitigation. Innovations in technology, innovations in policy/platforms.
- Methane hoofprint and productivity of livestock in the Americas: overview and key progress, challenges Troy Rowan, University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture
- Livestock production’s role in farmer livelihoods, poverty reduction, and sustainable development, evidence of progress Marilyn Hershey, Chair of Dairy Management Inc., and U.S. Dairy Farmer
- Innovation technology case of Bovaer – Americas Katie Cook, Vice President, Livestock Sustainability & US Farm Animal Marketing, Elanco Animal Health
- Programs, platforms, and policy innovation in the Americas, share experiences from region Muhammad Ibrahim, IICA Director of Technical Cooperation
Part 2: Driving investment in livestock and climate solutions – Innovation in action
To address weak financing around livestock and climate solutions in developing countries, a new Livestock and Climate Solutions Hub is being formed to bring together, facilitate, and catalyze an ecosystem of actors including international research organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, development and funding organizations and link them to local, national and regional institutions throughout the Global South. This panel will be opened with an overview of the rationale and vision for the Hub, to be followed by comments from panelists.
- Overview of the Livestock and Climate Solutions Hub to focus investment for progress on climate action Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General, ILRI
- Regionally tailored livestock and climate development pathways Mary Mbole-Kariuki, African Union - Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources
- Livestock and climate in regional and national agendas in Africa Bernard Kimoro, State Department of Livestock, Government of Kenya
- Mitigation, adaptation and development: the importance of investing in livestock and climate solutions