ILRI

Global land and livestock frameworks are approaching a rare convergence in 2026. This presents a vital window to reshape how the international community views pastoral ecosystems and the communities that sustain them. Key takeaways for the sector:
🔹 Rangelands are essential to global survival, supporting food security, biodiversity, and pastoral livelihoods.
🔹 Rangelands and indigenous livestock breeds cannot be separated—they function as one interconnected system.
🔹 Women and youth are the driving force behind these pastoral economies, taking the lead in preserving indigenous breeds. Explore the carousel to understand the path forward for the livestock sector ahead of the upcoming UN summits.

➡️ Join the ILRI side event on Thursday, themed 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲, where we’ll take this conversation further.

📍 Noom Hotel, Dakar, Senegal
📅 11 June 2026
🕒 15:10–16:10 | Room 2
🔗 https://on.cgiar.org/4v3fPsf

Did you know that the specific breeds of livestock we raise can actually help us adapt to—and fight—climate change? 🌍🐄

Livestock are essential for livelihoods and nutrition, especially in growing rural communities. But as our climate changes, these animals and the systems they rely on are at risk. The good news? Strategic management of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) offers massive potential to make our food systems more resilient and climate-smart!

We are teaming up with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for a special webinar to explore the fascinating relationship between climate change and livestock diversity.

Webinar Details:

📅 Date: 10th June 2026

🕑 Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM EAT

📍 Where: https://fao.zoom.us/j/98280258179?pwd=JSsTys3WAwVKCzcTaP10BpiGbHlJqu.1

(Meeting ID: 982 8025 8179 | Passcode: 56906826)

Yesterday, key agricultural and development stakeholders gathered in Addis Ababa for the Dairy Stakeholders' Consultative Workshop and World Milk Day Celebration. Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, the event focused on driving collaboration for a resilient, inclusive, and competitive Ethiopian dairy sector. H.E. Dr Fikru Regassa, State Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted that milk production from major livestock species has doubled. He emphasized the critical need to scale proven technologies and standardize quality assurance to maintain this momentum. 📈🔬

Representing CGIAR Liaison Office for Africa and ILRI, Namukolo Covic delivered a keynote address focusing on the vital intersection of dairy and household health. Key takeaways included:

🍼 Milk consumption is directly linked to reducing child stunting, particularly during the critical first 1,000 days of life.

👩🏾‍🌾 Women play a central role in the dairy value chain, from livestock management to milk processing.

⚖️ Empowering women and improving their access to productive assets and decision-making power is essential for driving sector growth and improving nutrition outcomes.

🥛 The sector must ensure that increased milk production actively translates into greater consumption for vulnerable groups, rather than focusing exclusively on market sales.

To help bridge current coordination gaps, ILRI Scientist Getachew Legese introduced the Ethiopian Dairy Innovation and Development Platform. 🤝 This initiative aims to unite stakeholders across genetics, animal health, processing, and research to work collaboratively for greater, large-scale impact. 🌍💡

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) will be participating in the World Food Prize Foundation DialogueNEXT Africa event on June 30, held at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

Appolinaire Djikeng will speak on the continent's agricultural trajectory in light of major demographic shifts. By 2050, it is estimated that more than one in four people globally will be African. "What does this mean for African agriculture?" Djikeng notes. "Africa must become the breadbasket, not only for its rising population, but for the rest of the world. I am excited that young people are rising up and taking center stage, bringing their energy, creativity, and passion to Africa’s agriculture landscape."

The event's theme, Born to Feed the Future, strongly aligns with ILRI’s ongoing work to co-design and deploy science-based livestock solutions that improve livelihoods.Join the conversation as institutions, farmers, and young agripreneurs prepare for the future of food systems.

📅 June 30, 2026
📍 Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi
🔗 https://on.cgiar.org/43YvSva

Most of the food that feeds our cities passes through informal markets, wet markets, and roadside stalls. But how do we ensure that food is safe when vendors often lack basic infrastructure like running water or cold storage?

This , we are shifting the focus from the burden of foodborne illness to practical solutions. Over 20 years of research across Africa and Asia has shown us that simply handing out fines to informal vendors doesn't work.

What does work? The 'three-legged stool' approach:
💧 Providing practical training and basic tools (like soap and clean water).
📈 Creating real incentives, like better market prices for safer food.
🤝 Building partnerships between vendors and local governments.

When vendors are supported instead of penalized, hygiene improves, businesses grow, and safer food reaches the people who need it most. Safe food is a shared responsibility!

Learn how we are working to ensure safe food everywhere: https://www.ilri.org/events/world-food-safety-day-burden-solutions-safe-food-everywhere

CGIAR World Health Organization (WHO) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

For over ten years, Dao Thi Duyen sold pork at her local market in Hanoi relying purely on past experience. But today, her stall looks a little different. By making simple changes—like using separate knives for raw meat and organs, using clean display trays, and washing tools with soap—she is helping protect her community from foodborne illnesses. 🥩🧼

Because of her safer, cleaner setup, Dao’s customer base has actually grown by 10%!

In Vietnam, pork is a daily staple. But high rates of bacteria like Salmonella in traditional markets have been a major public health challenge. To fix this, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has been working with local vendors and slaughterhouses to introduce simple, life-saving changes.

From teaching better hygiene in busy morning markets to installing raised stainless-steel grids in slaughterhouses (keeping meat completely off the floor!), these small shifts are causing a massive drop in contamination rates across several provinces.

Discover how local businesses and researchers are teaming up to make every meal a little safer: https://www.ilri.org/index.php/news/slaughterhouses-markets-making-pork-safer-vietnam

CGIAR CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

We were privileged to attend an incredible week of innovation and dialogue at Week!

At ILRI, we believe that translating complex research into actionable solutions is key to global food security. Here is a look at our highlights from the week:

🎤 Thought Leadership: Siboniso (Boni) Moyo delivered an essential keynote on Research Resource Mobilization in the Post Aid Era, sparking vital conversations on the future of research funding.

🤝 High-Level Engagement: We were honored to welcome Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak , Principal Secretary for the State Department for Science, Research, and Innovation in Kenya, to our booth to explore our latest livestock and climate resilience innovations.

A huge thank you to the organizers and all the partners who engaged with our work. Together, we are advancing science for society!

Food safety is everyone's business—from the farm all the way to our dinner plates! 🍲✨

Did you know that informal markets are the primary source of affordable food for millions of households across Sub-Saharan Africa? Ensuring this food is safe is one of our greatest opportunities to improve child nutrition and public health.

In celebration of World Food Safety Day 2026, ILRI's own senior scientist and epidemiologist Silvia Alonso will be speaking at the regional webinar: “Building Africa’s Food Safety Future: From Evidence to Action.” 🌍

Silvia will dive into practical, evidence-based solutions that protect vulnerable communities while supporting local food vendors and livestock value chains.The event is hosted by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Programme, AU-IBAR, and Canadian Council on Africa / Conseil Canadien pour l'Afrique

📅 When: 11 June 2026
⏰ Time Zones:2:00 PM – 4:50 PM (Nairobi)
11:00 AM – 1:50 PM (Accra / Sénégal)
12:00 PM – 2:50 PM (Brazzaville)
1:00 PM – 3:50 PM (Johannesburg)🌐

Interpretation available in English, French, and Portuguese!

Don't miss this crucial conversation on securing Africa's food systems. Tap the link below to sign up! ⬇️👉 https://on.cgiar.org/49qGg2g

Why are animal diseases like Ebola, hantaviruses, and coronaviruses jumping to humans more frequently?

It’s not happening in a vacuum. As our scientist Bernard Bett explains in this insightful BBC piece, a combination of environmental changes, urbanization, and food security challenges are actively altering animal habitats and behaviors, bringing us into closer contact than ever before.

At ILRI, we believe that while we may not completely stop diseases from spilling over, we can use resilient infrastructure and predictive science to stop localized outbreaks from turning into pandemics.

Check out the video below to learn how viral pathogens "find the key" to human cells and what researchers are doing to monitor the threat: https://on.cgiar.org/4dV8js4