The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that provides a framework for cooperation in common areas of concern, among them sustainable livestock development, One Health, and climate mitigation and resilience.  

UNEP is the world’s leading environmental authority. It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. ILRI is part of the CGIAR, an international agricultural research partnership. ILRI’s goal is to improve food and nutritional security and to reduce poverty in developing countries through research on efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock.

Although the MoU serves as an official reference to the agreed areas of collaboration, ILRI and UNEP have worked together for many years. In June 2020, they jointly launched a major report on the COVID-19 pandemic entitled ‘Preventing the next pandemic: Zoonotic diseases and how to break the chain of transmission.’ That report focuses on the risk of future zoonotic outbreaks, specifically on the environmental and zoonotic dimensions of disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 and identifies 10 practical steps that governments can take to prevent future pandemics.

The MoU establishes a strategic agreement to cooperate in a number of areas focused on the environmental dimensions of sustainable development including to:

• Jointly develop scientific knowledge on emerging issues relevant to the livestock sector and technical support on environmentally friendly decision-making and policy.

• Jointly design tools and approaches to reduce the environmental impact of livestock systems and identify ways of integrating One Health interventions in these systems to spur investment and innovations.

• Jointly provide technical guidance to countries and partners to implement climate change activities and develop mitigation and resilience programs.

• Participate in joint outreach, communication and capacity development activities on mutually agreed themes.

• Explore opportunities to provide technical guidance to countries for sustainable livestock management, through climate change mitigation and resilience programs and activities including rangelands restoration. This may include countries within the Great Green Wall Initiative.

• Explore collaboration related to post­-COVID-19 recovery through One Health approaches and develop joint scientific assessments of zoonotic diseases and related emerging issues of environmental concern.

Jimmy Smith, the director general of ILRI, said he was delighted at the prospect of formalizing ILRI’s long-standing relationship with UNEP. ‘This MoU will solidify the relationship between our two organizations and deepen our scientific collaboration with the world’s leading environmental organization’, he said. The MoU was signed on October 26 2020.

ILRI and UNEP jointly organized a session during this year’s Global Landscapes Forum on One Health approaches for healthy landscapes, people, animals and wildlife.

In the area of rangelands, UNEP has been working with ILRI as a partner in the Global Rangelands Initiative of the International Land Coalition for the last four years. In 2016, UNEP and ILRI jointly supported the government of Ethiopia and others in the submission of a resolution on ‘Combating desertification, land degradation and promoting sustainable pastoralism’, which was an important milestone in the anticipated declaration of  an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

Currently ILRI is supporting UNEP to raise awareness on rangelands during the preparations for launching the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. A key tool for this will be the establishment of a global data platform on rangelands to be established by ILRI, UNEP and other development partners in 2021.

In October 2019, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in partnership with the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) launched a one-year pilot study in Kenya’s Samburu County as part of a larger project to develop and test low-cost data collection tools for assessing the nutrition status of households in Kenya’s pastoral areas.

These tools are integrated into a mobile phone application (app), which is known as ‘Mbiotisho’ (our health), that is used by households members who have no formal education, to record and track indicators of their own health and nutrition status in near real-time basis. Users receive individualized feedback on the indicators of nutritional progress against the international standards for those indicators. By April 2020, 22 community health volunteers (CHVs) and 189 caregivers from four community health units (CHUs) in Samburu were using the app.

Participants from the Lorubae Community Health Unit in Samburu County, December 2019 (photo credit: ILRI/Watson Lepariyo).

But managing the project’s fieldwork amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which is affecting day-to-day life in much of the world, has been both challenging and exciting. Generally, the implementation of field activities in development projects is affected by many unforeseen events. Finding workarounds to these challenges requires flexibility and creative solutions from project teams and partners. But the measures that have been put in place to curb the spread COVID-19 in Kenya, including restrictions on movement and a ban on public gatherings of more than a few people, are changing fieldwork as we know it. Researchers and project implementers will need to rethink the ways in which they can continue to carry out project activities and share information and knowledge during the pandemic.

The first version of the app was pre-tested in July 2019. Since then, the ‘Improving dietary and health data for decision-making’ project team has continued to further develop the app through an iterative cycle (of deploy, receive feedback, improve, and deploy) with the users to improve its functionality and user experience.

In response to feedback from caregivers, the team developed a set of in-app reports on diet diversity and antenatal care that compare caregivers’ own recorded information against international standards of nutrition indicators and provide the caregivers with feedback on the indicators. Like in other components of the application, the caregivers record their information and access the reports through icons and pre-recorded audio messages within the app. Feedback is provided to the caregivers on their performance through the same interface.

Selected screenshots of the feedback provided to caregivers, which is done using pre-recorded audio messages (photo: ILRI).

After testing the new features (i.e. updating the caregiver report template and redeploying the application) the research team was looking forward to explaining the updated app to the caregivers and seeing their reactions to the new feature. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one-day training events on interpreting the reports and installing the updated application were planned for mid-May, in four locations (Wamba, Lorubae, Lolkuniyiani and Lodung’okwe) in Samburu east. Unfortunately, these events have not been held because of the ban on public gatherings that is currently in place to manage the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya.

 Selected screenshots of the feedback provided to caregivers, which is done using pre-recorded audio messages (photo: ILRI).

The team has been busy rethinking the project approaches to ensure that we can maintain the existing data collection exercise. We have also been exploring new methods of re-deploying the application with the new features under the current conditions.

Some of the project administration work, such as troubleshooting the app or sending airtime to participants, can be performed remotely. But updating the application remotely for users who have no formal education, have poor internet connectivity and little experience using smartphones is a significant challenge.

Executing a remote update successfully requires prior meticulous planning and a customized solution for the specific (pastoral) context of users. At this time, creating an instructional video of the steps the users need to follow to update the app seems to be the most suitable solution to this challenge. This option is best because the video can be produced in the local language and include screenshots and voice explanations to walk the user through the process of updating the app. Further, the video can be created at a relatively low cost with readily available resources and software. For example, Using MS PowerPoint, we have created an interactive video that explains (in Kiswahili) the process of updating the app. To address the challenge of poor internet connectivity, we shared a URL of the video via WhatsApp with the participants, which allowed them to download it on their smartphones and watch it at their convenience.

Finally, we were ready to launch the update. The update process went smoothly, apart from a few hiccups, where some of the settings of the participants devices were jumbled up and the participants could not apply the standard procedures to update the app. For those affected, we recreated the scenario and walked them through the process on a phone call.

Even though the pandemic has halted the face-to-face interactions that would enable the use of more straightforward processes, through teamwork and use of technology-based solutions, we have been able to successfully deploy the update to the ‘Mbiotisho’ app.

Edited by Sarah Kasyoka and Paul Karaimu.

‘The days of top-down, one-size-fits-all “solutions” for poor rural farmers are gone. Scientists interested in development questions have known this for some time. They fan out across the globe, questionnaires in hand, to learn about the needs of coffee producers in Honduras, bean growers in Kenya, and rice farmers in Vietnam. This works well to tailor research-for-development projects to local circumstances. But researchers overlook one critical element: standardizing surveys so others could use the information they gathered. ‘

Continue reading the article ‘Field Notes – How do we understand the needs of the rural poor on a global scale? One family farm at a time‘, to learn how the RHoMIS tool is revolutionizing the way researchers collect and analyze household data.

As part of efforts to build the capacity of pastoralists and livestock sector stakeholders to respond and adapt to these changes in climate change in Kajiado’s rangelands and other livestock production systems in eastern Africa, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is implementing the Programme for Climate-Smart Livestock (PCSL) in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

The PCSL focuses on three overarching action areas:

a)     identifying and field-testing innovations for adapting to, and mitigating, climate change as well as determining the necessary factors for effective adoption,
b)    facilitating participatory development of adaptation actions recognizing plausible future scenarios, and
c)     supporting the capacity of actors to track and report on efforts to adapt to climate change and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

In Kenya, the project is being implemented in two agroecological zones – pastoral and semi-intensive dairy systems. Research sites in Kajiado County and ILRI’s Kapiti Research Station will represent pastoral/rangeland systems whereas the semi-intensive dairy systems will be represented by research sites in Nandi and Bomet counties. Following the project launch in March 2019 and consultations at the national level, the project team has been holding meetings at the county and community levels to create awareness of its work among local stakeholders and to discuss implementation strategies.

On 20 January 2020, the PCSL team met with representatives of the Ol Kirmatian and Shompole ranches and other stakeholders in Kajiado. The two community ranch management committees, the South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO), representatives from the local administration and leaders of women’s groups attended the meeting. They discussed how the findings of an ILRI research project in the area and future research could better benefit the communities. The initial findings of the project, which assessed the potential for resting and re-seeding grazing areas during short rains and long rains and their impact on pasture quality, were reviewed. Participants said they were willing to adopt some of the measures proposed by the researchers including resting rainy-season grazing areas for longer or shorter periods (depending on rainfall), range re-seeding, using manure to improve the re-seeding success, and producing grass seeds locally. At the end of the dialogue, the project team and the community representatives formulated an action plan which will guide the program activities in Kajiado.

Key features of the plan will include setting up partnership arrangements with the community and building on the already existing long-term collaboration between ILRI and SORALO. A follow-up meeting with community members later discussed the research activities that would be carried out in the area by the PCSL. The researchers and students (masters and PhD) were introduced to the community at the event. They each presented the research objectives of their component, expected results, data collection activities and the areas where they will need community support. They also responded to questions from community members on the proposed program activities and explained how the program’s work will benefit the people of Kajiado.

The extensive consultative meetings with the local stakeholders have revealed the importance of creating a common understanding of the project goal and how its activities will benefit communities in the project sites. This shared understanding of project purpose motivates livestock keepers and stakeholders to engage actively in the project activities and increases their likelihood of applying the project’s findings. The consultations have also enabled the project staff to address the concerns of communities, to understand the local dynamics that are crucial to project success and to co-develop project implementation modalities. This process has also helped to demonstrate the value of the communities’ ownership of the research activities, recognizing them as equal partners. The PCSL research activities in the area will be carried out over the next two years.

The PCSL is financed and coordinated by the German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ), commissioned by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.

This blog was co-authored by Leah Gichuki, a research associate and Lucy Njuguna a PhD student, both working on climate-change adaptation. It was edited by Sarah Kasyoka and Paul Karaimu.

Visit: https://www.ilri.org/programme-for-climate-smart-livestock-systems to learn more about the project.

The consequent shift in animal browsing patterns and the reality of droughts and floods affect the remaining rangelands negatively, and improved, climate-friendly livestock management systems are urgently needed by pastoralists.

The Programme for Climate-Smart Livestock Systems (PCSL), which was launched in Ethiopia in early April 2019, aims to increase livestock’s contribution to the three pillars of climate-smart agriculture (CSA): increased productivity, mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and adaptation to climate change across diverse livestock systems and agro-ecological zones. The four-year project is also being implemented in Kenya and Uganda. By developing new, more market-oriented pathways for climate-smart livestock management, the project will benefit governments, local livestock keepers, and the private sector.

Launching the PCSL project in Afar Region

Launched in Awra District of Ethiopia’s Afar Region on 4 December 2019, the PCSL is seeking to i) identify the key stakeholders to engage with during the project duration; ii) initiate relationships with these key stakeholders; iii) solicit inputs from the stakeholders regarding climate change and livestock production issues in the region; iv) inform local communities and government representatives on the planned data collection activities and field work.

The project launch meeting was attended by representatives of local governments of the zone, (Awra District, and Lekura and Hida Kebelles), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), pastoralists and researchers.

The PCSL team was represented by Birgit Habermann, Sonja Leitner and Tigist Worku who introduced the project and its activities in a series of brief presentations. The pastoralists wanted to know why their region has lacked rainfall in the last few years, which has transformed former grasslands into desert areas and dried up natural water sources.

Leitner explained that this was, at least in part, an impact of climate change, which can be seen in a decrease in rainfall and an increase in temperature. She also explained how a reduction in vegetative cover leads to a decrease in precipitation which alters the local climate. Finally, loss of vegetation and extreme rainfalls exacerbate soil erosion, further decreasing the available grazing area. She added that ‘in addition to climate change overgrazing and destruction of pasture and riverine forests may also have have contributed to accelerating land degradation’. Some solutions to the problems were proposed at the meeting including manure management, for instance by setting up biogas plants to reduce the pressure on woody vegetation, and a stronger focus on improving pasture quality, feed and forage availability. Revegetating the affected pastures was also suggested as an effective way of restoring rangelands.

One of PCSL’s major components is exploring climate change adaptation to understand how innovative pastoralists and agropastoralists are changing their practices to interact better with their changing environments. Habermann, from the adaptation team, explained how the focus of her work will identify innovative pastoralists and agropastoralists so that other livestock keepers can learn from them.

Workshop participants also wanted to know why the project had selected two kebeles with a large proportion of agropastoralists while most of the Afar Region is occupied by pastoralists. It was explained that the program is focusing on the alternative livelihoods (in addition to pastoralism) that can make it easier for pastoralists to adapt to climate change and still maintain their traditional way of living. Participants revealed that agropastoralists in the area were venturing into fruits and vegetables farming. They were also engaging in other activities such as selling and buying fodder, starting cooperatives, planting trees, collecting indigenous grass seeds, establishing water spreading weirs and exclosures as well as small-scale irrigation projects. They noted that while government initiatives still tend to have a strong crop focus, the importance of cattle in people’s lives is still high, especially in this region. ‘We live when our cattle live; if our cattle die, we die,’ was among the sentiments from participants.

After the project introduction and a question and answer session, workshop attendants participated in a net mapping exercise, where they reflected on and documented the most relevant and active actors in the development and implementation of climate change adaptation strategies for the livestock sector. Private sector representatives identified the government and NGOs as the most influential actors in the development of livestock interventions and livestock keepers as the most important actors in the implementation. Also, participants agreed on the mutual information flow among the three most important actors (government, NGOs and livestock keepers). Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries and some NGOs were identified as the main sources of funding for most of the livestock interventions.

After the net mapping exercise, participants worked in groups to help the PCSL team better understand community variability and how local livestock keepers can develop innovations and adapt to perceived challenges. Participants explained how the pastoralist way of life is being affected by climate change. While previously they had a biannual cycle of migration, today this is often disrupted and members of households are frequently separated, with part of the community (mostly young men) moving long distances with the livestock in search of pastures, while the elderly, women and disabled stay behind in settlements with only a few animals. In addition, participants clearly distinguished between the more successful pastoralists with larger, diversified herds (cattle, camels, sheep, goats) compared to those who are not fully committed and will easily sell off livestock for insufficient profit or suffer losses due to negligence in looking after the animals.

Overall, the participants showed a lot of interest in the program and its planned activities. It was mentioned severally throughout the workshop that livestock was at the heart of every pastoralist. The community members said they welcomed researchers who are working to develop recommendations that would help them adapt to changes in the climate and improve their animal productivity. Both pastoralists and government representatives pledged to support the PCSL hoping for feedback and findings that will enable them to improve livestock management in the region and the country.

After the successful project launch, the researchers will collect data from the field and facilitate stakeholders’ engagement on the issues raised during the meeting.

The PCSL is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ).

This blog was co-authored by Birgit Habermann, a post-doctoral scientist working on innovation and social issues of climate change adaptation, Sonja Leitner, a post-doctoral scientist working on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change mitigation, and Tigist Worku, the project coordinator in Ethiopia. It was edited by Sarah Kasyoka and Paul Karaimu.

Related articles:

• Climate-smart livestock program rolled out in southwestern Uganda
• After national launch, climate-smart livestock program rolled out in Ethiopia’s Amhara region

Visit: https://www.ilri.org/programme-for-climate-smart-livestock-systems to learn more about the project.

Read more about a recent CGIAR study ,led by researchers at the International Livestock Research Institute, which explores issues surrounding aid delivery in pastoral communities, particularly during drought and provide guidance to humanitarian and development aid actors.

In recent years in the pastoral areas of developing countries, One Health is gaining increasing credibility and visibility as an approach that can combine interventions for both human and animals.

Read this post on how the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partners are integrating this approach into Participatory Rangeland Management, to improve the lives of people, livestock and rangelands.

The Committee on Food Security (CFS) of the Food and Agricultural The Committee on Food Security (CFS) of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) meets on an annual basis at FAO headquarters in Rome. The CFS is the international and intergovernmental platform for working to ensure food security and nutrition for all. The committee reports to the UN General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and to FAO conference. The 46th session of the CFS was held between 14–18 October 2019 and a number of Rangelands Initiative partners supported and facilitated side events on rangelands and pastoralism.

Read this IFAD blog to learn more about side events facilitated by partners of the Rangelands Initiative, at the 46th CFS.