https://www.ilri.org/ en Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:03:09 +0300 Fri, 24 Jul 26 15:00:00 +0300 https://www.ilri.org/news/zimbabwes-local-innovation-fuels-regional-action-through-one-health <p>“Biogas has made a big difference in our daily lives,” says Panashe Gomorago. “Cooking is now faster and cleaner, and we no longer struggle with smoke or delays in starting fires. It has really improved our learning environment.” </p> <p>Gomorago is one of 764 pupils at Chifamba Girls’ School in Zimbabwe’s Guruve District, where a 13-cubic-meter biogas facility has recently been constructed. </p> <p>“In the past, we relied on firewood, and cooking was a difficult and time-consuming experience,” continues Gomorago. “It was worst during the rainy seasons, as it was hard to start a fire with wet firewood. We would lose valuable learning time trying to get it to burn. Now we spend more time studying instead of searching for firewood.”</p> <p>For the school, the benefits extend beyond the classroom. This new source of cooking gas has eliminated the need to cut down trees for fuel wood—safeguarding local forests and woodlands—and the clean gas reduces smoke and other health risks in the kitchen. In sum, one innovation improved health for both students and ecosystems.</p> <p>“Previously, we used about 12 cords of firewood per term, but this term we have used only three. Our dependence on electricity and firewood for cooking has greatly reduced,” explains Steven Mutaiwa, the head teacher at Chifamba Girls’ School.</p> <h3>Turning waste into a resource</h3> <p>Constructed as part of the Transforming Waste to Resources (TW2R) project implemented by Chinhoyi University of Technology, the school biodigester is one part of a broader effort to rethink waste across Guruve District. It is one of eight projects funded by the <a href="https://www.ilri.org/research/projects/capacitating-one-health-eastern-and-southern-africa-cohesa">Capacitating One Health in Eastern and Southern Africa (COHESA) project</a> to address local challenges across the 12 COHESA countries.</p> <p>Rather than treating waste as something to dispose of, researchers from the university have been helping communities transform waste into valuable products while improving human, animal, and environmental health.</p> <p>The challenge is considerable. In 2020, the global direct cost of waste management was estimated to be <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/global-waste-management-outlook-2024#:~:text=Key%20findings,sector%20as%20well%20as%20citizens.">USD 252 billion</a>. The hidden costs of pollution—such as poor health and accelerated climate change from poor waste disposal practices—push the total cost to USD 361 billion. Without urgent action on waste management, by 2050 this global annual cost could almost double to a staggering USD 640.3 billion.</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://ema.co.zw/">Zimbabwe Environmental Management Agency</a>, urban councils generate roughly 270,000–500,000 kg of waste daily. Uncollected solid waste is usually disposed of in illegal dump sites, along roadsides, open spaces and water sources, posing a health hazard to humans, animals, and the environment.</p> <p>This is the problem that the Chinhoyi and COHESA researchers and partners set out to solve by designing initiatives that both turn waste into useful resources and yield health benefits. As of 2026, the project team had trained 240 community members to collect, sort and recycle waste into usable products such as doormats, bags, hats, and decorative bowls from melted plastics. The result is a boost to both household income and the local environment.</p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ee636f72-b9ab-47bd-b644-cc6386b43cb6" height="825" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Guruve%202.jpeg" width="810"> COHESA team during a visit to Chifamba Girls’ School in Zimbabwe’s Guruve District where COHESA has set up a biogas facility to support meal preparation at the school (photo credit: CIRAD/ Martha Katsi) <p>“What was previously discarded is now collected, recycled, and transformed into useful products that generate income for households and the community. We now see waste differently,” says Gogo Rumbidzai Magwaza, a community member. </p> <p>Waste collection centers have been set up and equipped with plastic shredding machines. Knowledge Chikanya from the Guruve Rural District Council directorate notes that this has not only contributed to human and environmental health, but animal health as well: “We used to lose livestock after they ingested plastic waste. That problem has significantly reduced.” </p> <p>Researchers are now exploring whether biogas technology can also help reduce deforestation linked to tobacco production, one of the major drivers of tree loss in Guruve. The team has trained 18 community members to construct biodigesters. </p> <p>“Deforestation is a major problem in Guruve, driven primarily by agricultural expansion and the need for fuelwood, for cooking, heating and tobacco curing,” says Kudakwashe Chitindingu, the project lead at the university.</p> <h3> </h3> <h3>From local innovation to regional learning</h3> <p>The practical results in Guruve have attracted attention beyond Zimbabwe. Delegates attending a One Health workshop in Zimbabwe, comprising of project country coordinators, policy makers and development partners from the 12 <a href="https://www.ilri.org/research/projects/capacitating-one-health-eastern-and-southern-africa-cohesa">COHESA countries</a> visited the waste management projects in Guruve, to see how a One Health approach can deliver benefits across human, animal, and environmental health.</p> <p>Their observations informed discussions on establishing a regional <a href="https://www.cgiar.org/initiative/one-health/">One Health</a> network that would build on lessons from the five-year COHESA program. The proposed network aims to strengthen collaboration among governments, universities and development partners, promote evidence-based policymaking, and expand successful local innovations across eastern and southern Africa.</p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4039ffd7-314b-447a-9a9e-be2903004b25" height="2230" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/IMG-20260406-WA0065_0.jpg" width="4032"> Prof. Prisca Mugabe (3rd Left) from University of Zimbabwe shares the COHESA story at the One Health Summit in Lyon, France <p>“We have a good story at COHESA,” said Prisca Mugabe from the University of Zimbabwe, when she told a global audience about the experiences from Guruve District at the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pamela-nabukenya-wairagala-a0571432_cohesa-onehealthsummit-lyon-ugcPost-7446934578851692546-XPqP?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABrGKoB5SqqdG4nIsYEU_Gxm4glMbPcd-c">One Health summit in Lyon. </a>“The lessons we have learned can be scaled beyond our individual countries, to a regional network, where we can share our technical and strategic experiences for the betterment of health across humans, animals, and the environment.”</p> <p>Resource mobilization is underway to kickstart the network’s operations. </p> <p>For the students at Chifamba, however, the significance of the project is measured less in policies and more in everyday life: A cleaner kitchen. Less smoke. Fewer trips to collect firewood. More time spent in the classroom.</p> <p>What began as a biodigester serving one school has become an example of how rethinking waste can improve education, protect forests, strengthen livelihoods, and inspire new approaches to One Health across the region.</p> Pamela Wairagala 8ca2780d-d251-4539-9578-2cb288385803 Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/mucuna-gains-ground-dual-solution-forage-availability-and-soil-fertility-madagascar <p>In southeastern Madagascar, a legume is emerging as a reliable ally for smallholder farmers: Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens). This slender vine offers a practical solution to persistent challenges in the country’s predominantly mixed farming systems, particularly how to maintain soil fertility, boost crop yields, and secure enough quality livestock feed.</p> <p><br>With around 70–80% of the population relying on agriculture for their livelihoods, constraints in farming systems have far-reaching effects in Madagascar. The shortage of high-quality forage, driven by climate variability, climate-induced droughts and land degradation, weakens livestock productivity and, in turn, reduces the availability of manure and draft power essential for crop production. This cycle contributes to low overall productivity and limited income for smallholder households.</p> <p><br>Addressing livestock feed constraints can therefore generate significant multiplier effects. Improved forage options such as Mucuna enhance animal nutrition and health while contributing to better soil fertility and crop performance, ultimately strengthening the resilience of farming systems and rural livelihoods.</p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6e6aec52-2cc5-4bea-86b0-776075d4533f" height="1518" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-22%20at%2018.25.05.png" width="2032"> A thriving Mucuna field illustrates the crop's rapid biomass production, offering farmers a valuable source of high-quality forage while improving soil health (photo credit: ILRI/Lamine Diedhiou). <p>In Vatovavy and Fitovinany regions, the International Livestock Research Institute, in partnership with the Direction Régionale de l’Agriculture et de la Sécurité Alimentaire (DRASA), is introducing farmers to Mucuna as a dual-purpose solution. This fast-growing legume produces abundant, protein-rich biomass for animal feed while improving soil fertility through ground cover, weed suppression, and erosion control. It also enhances the performance of companion crops such as maize.</p> <h3><br>Peer learning pathways</h3> <p>Early field trials are already generating promising results and sparking interest across villages. Just months after the first sowing in January 2026, farmers are reporting visible improvements in crop performance and increased biomass production in their fields.</p> <p><br>Charline Razafindravola from Vatovavy, an early adopter, shares: "I am very satisfied with Mucuna. I’ve noticed a clear improvement in my field, especially when I follow the technical recommendations. Next year, I plan to expand the area under cultivation."</p> <p><br>Her success has inspired other farmers in her village. This farmer-to-farmer exchange is accelerating the spread of Mucuna across villages, supported by field demonstrations, training, and regular technical guidance from ILRI and DRASA.</p> <blockquote><p><br>"At first, I received the seeds but did not plant them. I started with a small test plot, and seeing how well Mucuna performed in Charline’s field and mine convinced me to plant the remaining seeds," says Aina, another farmer.</p> </blockquote> <p><br>And Armand Razafimandimby harvested higher yields of maize while also producing feed for his animals, thanks to intercropping. Next year, he too plans to expand his Mucuna farming.</p> <h3><br>Partnerships for scaling</h3> <p><br>Mucuna is part of a broader portfolio of forage crops being studied by researchers to sustainably improve livestock feeding and soil health in tropical farming system in tropical farming systems. </p> <p><br>These efforts are grounded in an integrated crop–livestock systems approach, where forage crops are not promoted in isolation but embedded within existing farming systems. In practice, this includes intercropping legumes with cereals such as maize, using crop residues for livestock feeding, and recycling manure to restore soil fertility. Such integration enables farmers to optimize resource use, reduce external inputs, and strengthen the resilience of their production systems.</p> <p><img><br>“In this region, a variety of forage crops have been tested, including Mucuna, Panicum maximum, Chloris gayana, and Pennisetum purpureum. Among these options, Mucuna stands out as the most promising and farmer-preferred, due to its adapt and rapid biomass production and multiple benefits for both crops and livestock,” said Raharison Joséa, a livestock technician supporting the implementation of ILRI activities in Madagascar.<br> </p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a519eaee-d76d-4da4-b5a8-f1f8356bf819" height="717" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/mucuna_gains_ground.jpg" width="956"> Farmer-to-farmer learning and regular technical support are accelerating the adoption of Mucuna across villages in southeastern Madagascar (photo credit: ILRI/Clarisse Umutoni). <p>With encouraging results from the pilot plots, the focus is now shifting toward scaling adoption in the rest of southeastern Madagascar. This will involve strengthening partnerships with regional institutions such as DRASA, improving access to quality seeds, strengthening local technical capacity, and supporting farmer-led dissemination.</p> <p> <br>By simultaneously improving livestock nutrition, soil fertility, and overall farm productivity, Mucuna contributes directly to the Madagascar Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP) and CGIAR objectives of building more productive, resilient, and sustainable food systems.<br> </p> <p>This work is being implemented under the FSRP–CGIAR initiative (2024–2026), as part of the FSRP program funded by the World Bank in Madagascar.</p> <h3> Related publications: <br> </h3> <ol> <li><a href="https://newsmada.com/2025/10/31/g-feast-a-madagascar-les-eleveurs-impliques-dans-la-transformation-de-lelevage/">G-FEAST in Madagascar: the breeders involved in the processing of livestock</a></li> <li><a href="https://newsmada.com/2026/04/22/vatovavy-et-fitovinany-le-mucuna-nouvel-allie-des-systemes-agricoles/" target="_blank">Vatovavy and Fitovinany: Mucuna, a new ally for farming systems</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.ilri.org/news/g-feast-journey-madagascar-building-resilient-feed-systems-through-local-voices" target="_blank">The G-FEAST journey in Madagascar: Building resilient feed systems through local voices</a></li> <li><a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178608" target="_blank">Training report on quality forage seed production in Madagascar</a><br> </li> </ol> Daniel Hailemichael 7752fc1c-6bdc-4ead-b7ca-57488ab5a6dc Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/75-kilo-sheep-changed-pastoralists-mind <p>Tuitoek Chirchir, a pastoralist from Baringo County, had never seen a sheep so big. Standing beside a 75 kg ram at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)'s Kapiti Research Station in Machakos County, he could hardly believe it was an indigenous sheep like those raised in Kenya's drylands.</p> <p>"There are no sheep of this size back home," he said.</p> <p>Tuitoek had travelled with fellow livestock keepers from Baringo’s Irong Conservancy on a two-day farmer exchange visit through Kajiado and Machakos counties. Like the rest of the group, he expected to learn about livestock management. Instead, one animal changed how he thought about improving his flock.</p> <p>At home, he typically sells his goats and sheep for between KES 3,000 and KES 5,000 (approximately USD 23–39). During the visit, Tuitoek met farmers selling much larger animals for several times that amount. The difference, he realized, was not simply better feeding or animal health. It began with breeding matched with good management. The visit was organised by ILRI’s <a href="https://www.ilri.org/research/themes/livestock-genetics-nutrition-and-feed-resources">Livestock Genetics, Nutrition and Feed Resources program</a> in collaboration with <a href="//www.reconcile-ea.org">Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE )</a> through the support of <a href="https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-portfolio-2025-2030/sustainable-animal-and-aquatic-foods">CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Program</a>. The aim of the visit was to expose pastoralists to best small ruminant management practices for improved productivity.</p> <p>The animals at Kapiti and across the Kajiado farms are indigenous sheep, similar to those raised in Baringo, though different breeds. However, they are managed differently: separated by sex and breeding function, vaccinated on schedule, fed from feed banks built before the dry season, and watched closely for inbreeding. Fix one without the other, the farmers would learn, and you get only half the animal.</p> <p>That gap matters to a lot of people. Irong Conservancy is home to more than 14,500 people who live mainly off their herds. Sheep and goats are particularly important because they are easier to keep than cattle during drought. Yet productivity remains low with sheep and goats lambing/kidding once in two years and birth weights ranging between 1.5 and 2Kgs. This eventually leads to loss in productivity and lower prices of animals during sale. With proper management, sheep and goats should lamb/kid twice in a period of 1.5 years and through proper breeding the birth weight can reach 3Kgs as is the case with the Red Maasai breed being bred at ILRI’s Kapiti Research Station. Animals often breed uncontrolled on communal grazing lands, leading to inbreeding, while degraded rangelands and increasingly unreliable rainfall make it harder for livestock to reach their full potential. The exchange visit was built to show what closing that gap actually looks like.</p> <h2>Ten years of improvement</h2> <p>The group’s first stop was a farm in Isinya, Kajiado County, where Moses Munyangai has raised Red Maasai sheep for about a decade with ILRI’s support. The indigenous breed found in pastoral systems of Kenya and Tanzania is valued for its resilience in arid and semi-arid environments and its natural resistance to internal parasites. Key to the performance of Munyangai’s flock is not just the breed but management.</p> <p>What the Baringo visitors noticed first was the fencing: males in one paddock, females in another. Separate feeding lots for different stages of growth. A logbook recording every mating and every vaccination. In Irong, as across much of Baringo, animals graze communally on open rangeland and mate at will, resulting in widespread inbreeding, smaller animals, and lower prices at market. The contrast was hard to miss.</p> <blockquote> <p>In Baringo we did not know how to separate the animals. Females separated from males, you avoid inbreeding. And if you keep records of vaccinations, you can identify which animals are sick and which males have mated with which females.</p> </blockquote> <blockquote><p>— Tracy Kimelel, sheep farmer, Irong Conservancy</p> </blockquote> <p><img src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/IMG_3167_0.jpg" data-entity-uuid="d91a50bf-a003-4996-8c36-f19b80a90c21" data-entity-type="file" width="2048" height="1365"> </p><p>Farmers at Moses Munyangai’s farm in Kajiado County, learning about the Red Maasai sheep (photo credit:ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga).</p> <h2>Six thousand bales</h2> <p>The next lesson focused on drought preparedness. Farmer Harun Suiyan grows Napier, lucerne and Boma Rhodes grass, keeps silage for up to two years, and stores 6,000 bales of hay in his barn.</p> <p>In Baringo, a dry season usually means animals die or are sold off cheaply in distress, because there is nothing left to feed them. Rather than reacting when drought arrives, Suiyan prepares for it months in advance. During good seasons, he stores surplus feed so that when rains fail, his animals are still well fed and he can sell the surplus.</p> <p>For Baringo farmers who watch animals die every dry season, Suiyan’s barn offered a concrete model: start small, grow what you can, store before the drought arrives.</p> <p><img src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/IMG_3319.jpg" data-entity-uuid="555ad013-b1c0-4aae-b540-ad44e43b4a33" data-entity-type="file" alt="fodder farm" width="2048" height="1365"> </p> <p>Harun Suiyan explains the different forages he grows in his farm (photo credit: ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga).</p> <h2>Twenty years of breeding</h2> <p>The final stop brought the group's biggest surprise. At Kapiti Ranch, ILRI’s 13,000-hectare research station and wildlife conservancy in Machakos County, a selective sheep breeding program has run since 2003. Researchers cross the hardy, disease-resistant Red Maasai with the faster-growing, heavier Dorper. The 75 kg ram that stopped Tuitoek in his tracks was one outcome of more than two decades of patient breeding, supported by careful nutrition, health management and record keeping.</p> <p>For the farmers, the lesson became clear. Improving livestock is not simply about buying better animals. Good genetics need good management to realize their potential. Likewise, excellent management cannot fully compensate for poor breeding.</p> <blockquote> <p>We sell our goats for around KES 3,000 to 5,000 while others are selling theirs at KES. 20,000. We need to really look at improvement of breeding for all livestock. I have not seen small local breeds here; I have only seen improved local breeds.</p> </blockquote> <blockquote><p>— Tuitoek Chirchir, livestock farmer, Irong Conservancy</p> </blockquote> <p><img src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-22%20at%2012.50.29.png" data-entity-uuid="079dc09a-290e-4bb0-a990-25e2f1a64f1a" data-entity-type="file" alt="farmers at Kapiti" width="1731" height="945"> </p><p>Farmers at the ILRI Kapiti ranch learn about the selective sheep breeding, reproduction, feeding and health (photo credit: ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga).</p> <h2>Taking the lessons home</h2> <p>The exchange visit marks the beginning of a wider program by <a href="https://www.ilri.org/">ILRI</a> and <a href="https://www.reconcile-ea.org/">Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE)</a> to strengthen livestock production in Baringo County. Livestock breeding joined the agenda after a rapid assessment flagged two weaknesses: widespread inbreeding in community herds and weak organization among livestock producers.</p> <p>The next phase will focus on practical training in breeding, reproduction, feeding and health. Farmers see the outcome first; the methods come after.</p> <blockquote> <p>Pastoralists learn better by seeing and doing. We want them to carry a vision of what they can do with their animals. When we go through the trainings, they’ll be able to relate what we’re teaching to what they saw on the farms they visited.</p> </blockquote> <blockquote><p>— Edwin Pancras Oyieng’, Animal breeder and geneticist, ILRI</p> </blockquote> <p>This work is in line with Baringo County’s 2023–2027 integrated development plan and is already showing results. A traders’ group born from the partnership has already saved KES 250,000 (about USD 1,900) and plans to use the money to buy better breeding animals.</p> <blockquote> <p>That shows the process we have started is creating impact. We are really looking forward to having more of these changes.</p> </blockquote> <blockquote><p>— Owino Joshua Okoth, PRM coordinator, RECONCILE</p> </blockquote> <p>Tuitoek went home with a plan: build feed storage, source better breeds, separate animals by sex and breeding function, vaccinate on schedule, and keep proper records. His fellow farmer, Francis Jerono, has another goal.</p> <blockquote> <p>When we go back to Baringo, we will train others. We have to lead by example if we want to see change.</p> </blockquote> <blockquote><p>— Francis Jerono, Farmer, Irong Conservancy</p> </blockquote> <h2>Participants in their own words</h2> <blockquote><p></p> </blockquote> <p></p> <p>This work was conducted as part of the CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Program and multifunctional landscapes program, part of CGIAR’s 2025–2030 Research Portfolio. CGIAR research is supported by contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to transforming food, land and water systems in a climate crisis. We also acknowledge our collaboration with the Senior Expert Program (SEPII) at Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands.</p> <p></p> <p>Farmers from Baringo set out to learn how to manage their livestock better. They returned convinced that transforming their flocks begins with breeding, and that better genetics and better management must go together.</p> Geoffrey Luis Njenga 9d183d37-40df-46bd-b1ed-3eb400ff9646 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/publication-updates-ilri-asia-january-june-2026 <p>We would like to share with our donors and partners the list of publications of ILRI Asia publicized from January to June 2026.</p> <p>Articles in international and national peer-reviewed journals</p> <ol> <li>Yadav, K.D., Pokharel, A., Gautam, G., Shah, S., Rekik, M., Pratim, D.R., Varijakshapanicker, P. and Devkota, B. 2026. Effects of Calf Sex Altering Oral Preparation on Pregnancy Rate and Female Calf Production in the Buffalo. Journal of Buffalo Science 15:32-40. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183573">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183573</a></li> <li>Venter, M., Manuguerra, J.-C., Watson, J.M., Fischer, T.K., Blacksell, S.D., Summermatter, K., Damon, I.K., Drosten, C., Alviola, P., Assiri, A., Farag, E., Gangakhedkar, R., Ghosn, N., Guzman, M.G., Happi, C., Kalema-Zikusoka, G., Labbé, N., Myint, K., Hung Nguyen-Viet, Ochu, C., Saijo, M., Sang, R. and Wacharapluesadee, S. 2026. COVID's origins: what we do and don't know. Nature 650: 829-833. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/181911" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/181911</a></li> <li>San, S.P., Nicolaides, L., Sinh Dang-Xuan, Grace, D., Young, S., Fidero, K., Chamnan, C., Charaslertrangsi, T., Thorng, R., Kong, L., and Chea, R. 2026. Food safety implementation and associated challenges: Insights from Cambodia’s Pangasius fish and chicken farms. Veterinary Sciences 13 (4): 380. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182567" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182567</a></li> <li>Lounnas, M., Ayouba, A., Bailly, X., Banuls, A.-L., Benavides, J., Ben Salem, M., Bohin, E., Blandin, G., Bordier, M., Caron, A., Caceres, P., Cardinale, E., Cappelle, J., Charbonnel, N., Chiossi, S., Chevalier, V., Citti, C., Le Coint, V., Debnath, N., De Nys, H., Delabouglise, A., Delaporte, E., Diallo, A., Duboz, R., Ducatez, M., Etter, E., Garchitorena, A., Guinat, C., Goutard, F.L., Gozlan, R.E., Käsbohrer, A., Laury, E., Ladreyt, H., Lefrançois, T., Leger, E., Miguel, E., Morand, S., Mugabe, P., Olive, M.-M., Purse, B., Ross, E., Scagliarini, A., Shafiq, R., Suzan, G., Sironen, T., Trouillet, M., Hung Nguyen-Viet, Vourc’h, G., Walzer, C., Ward, J., Soussana, J.-F., Peyre, M. and Roche, B. 2026. PREZODE: a global co-designed collaboration for preventing zoonotic emergence. Nature Health. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182534" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182534</a> </li> <li>Hung, P.V., Nga, N.T.D., Huyen, N.T.T., Ly, N.T., Ha, D.N., Thinh, N.T., Hung Nguyen-Viet, Sinh, D.X., Delia, R. and Unger, F. 2026. Consumers’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and trust on food safety in pork value chains in Vietnam. Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Sciences 9(1): 2856-2868. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183645" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183645</a></li> </ol> <p>Presentations at international workshops/forums/conferences/seminars</p> <ol> <li>Sinh, D.X., Hung Nguyen-Viet, Chea, R., Muloi, D., Moodley, A., Phuc, P.T.H., Huyen, N.X. and Phouthana, V. 2026. Antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in livestock production: Insights from Vietnam and regional studies. Presented at the Regional Technical Forum: Actions to mitigate agrochemical use in soil, crop, livestock and aquaculture, Hanoi, Vietnam, 12 March 2026. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183595" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183595</a></li> <li>Tarawali, S. 2026. Addressing the opportunities: framing new sustainable livestock actions to contribute to food systems transformation in Asia and the Pacific. Presented at the Regional Conference on Sustainable livestock transformation for food systems in Asia and the Pacific, Hanoi, Vietnam, 24-25 March 2026. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183602" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183602</a></li> <li>Whitbread, A., Mukherji, A., Arndt, C., Cook, A., Cramer, L., Crane, T., Djikeng, A. and Hung Nguyen-Viet. 2026. Considering climate and environment in the design of livestock systems. Presented at the Regional Conference on Sustainable livestock transformation for food systems in Asia and the Pacific, Hanoi, Vietnam, 24-25 March 2026. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183597" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183597</a></li> <li>Nam, L.H., Hien, N.T.T, Hung, N.Q., Son, T.D., Sinh, D.X., Tung, D.D., Vuong, B.N., Lee, H.S. and Nguyen-Viet, H. 2026. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward transboundary animal and emerging zoonotic diseases among pig farmers in northern Vietnam. Presented at the 28th International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) Congress, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, 16–19 June 2026. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183598" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183598</a></li> <li>Sinh, D.X., Nguyen-Viet, H., Trang, L.T.H., Unger, F., Phuc, P.D., Alonso, S., Mutua, F. and Grace, D. 2026. Cách tiếp cận ghế ba chân trong an toàn thực phẩm chuỗi truyền thống. Presented at the Food Safety for Agrifood Systems Forum in celebration of the World Food Safety Day, Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, 7 June 2026 Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183647" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183647</a></li> <li>Sinh, D.X., Hung Nguyen-Viet, Trang, L.T.H. and Phuc, P.D. 2026. Food safety risk management in Viet Nam: emerging risks and challenges across the food value chain. Presented at the 5th technical meeting of Vietnam Food Safety Technical Working Group, Hanoi, Vietnam, 23 June 2026. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183642" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183642</a></li> </ol> <p>Posters</p> <ol> <li>Deka, R.P. and Kennady, V. 2026. Comprehensive Informal Dairy Sector Initiative for Food Safety. Poster prepared for the Regional Conference on Sustainable livestock transformation for food systems in Asia and the Pacific, Hanoi, Vietnam, 24-25 March 2026. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183644" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183644</a></li> </ol> <p>Reports</p> <ol> <li>M. Rashid, K. Anbazhagan, S. Dossou, September. 2025. Developing a Sampling Strategy for Fish Feed Collection and Preparation for NIRs Analysis in Bangladesh, Workshop report. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/6722" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/6722</a></li> <li>Ngo Duc Minh, Dang Xuan Sinh, Nguyen Cong Thanh, Tran Minh Tien and Nguyen Viet Hung. 2026. Regional Technical Forum on Actions to Mitigate Agrochemical Use in Soil, Crop, Livestock and Aquaculture. Study Report. Hanoi, Vietnam: Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS). <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182456">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182456</a></li> <li>Chea, R., Tum, S., Koam, S., Vorleak, M., Sinh Dang-Xuan, Hung Nguyen-Viet and Unger, F. 2026. Antibiotic use practices in small chicken production systems in four provinces of Cambodia: preliminary findings from the survey. Phnom Penh, Cambodia: NAHPRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182683">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182683</a></li> <li>Alemayehu, A., Esatu, W., Hoang, H., Yitayih, M., Unger, F., Nguyen, C., Nguyen-Viet, H. and Frank-Lawale, A. 2026. The Asian Chicken Genetic Gains (AsCGG) costed extension project inception workshops in Vietnam and Cambodia, and the poultry development strategy workshop in Lao PDR. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182738" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182738</a></li> <li>Nga Bui, T., Phuong Nguyen, T.M., Hoa Hoang, H., Yitayih, M., Dinh Nguyen, C., Son Pham V., Thien Vu C., Quyen Ngo, T.L., Huyen Ninh, T., Thong Tran, T. and Cuc Ngo, T. 2025. The role of gender equality in poultry production, marketing, and consumption in Vietnam. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183535">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183535</a></li> </ol> <p>Briefs and newsletters</p> <ol> <li>Varijakshapanicker, P. 2026. Livestock research and development portfolio in Nepal: Innovations Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182285">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182285</a></li> <li>Basnet, S., Chherti, A. and Varijakshapanicker, P. 2026. Nepal introduces animal identification and traceability system. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182334">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182334</a> </li> <li>Ojango, J., Basnet, S., Kipkosgei, G., Varijakshapanicker, P. and Chhetri, A. 2026. Digital solutions to accelerate genetic gain in Nepal’s dairy sector. Innovation Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182553">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182553</a></li> <li>Nepal, Y., Bhatt, P., Varijakshapanicker, P. and Teufel, N. 2026. Biofermentation of crop residues to improve dairy nutrition and productivity. Innovation Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182552">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182552</a></li> <li>Nepal, Y., Devkota, B., Varijakshapanicker, P. and Teufel, N. 2026. FemEXX enhances chances of female calves. Innovation Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182551">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182551</a></li> <li>Bhatt, P., Varijakshapanicker, P., Hegde, S. and Teufel, N. 2026. Dual-purpose crops with potential to increase livestock productivity and limit emissions in Nepal. Innovation Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182550">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182550</a></li> <li>Nepal, Y., Teufel, N. and Varijakshapanicker, P. 2026. Village livestock promoters link farmers to technology. Innovation Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182557">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182557</a></li> <li>Nepal, Y., Varijakshapanicker, P. and Teufel, N. 2026. On-farm feed advisor tool for diet formulation and nutrient balancing. Innovation Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182555">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182555</a></li> <li>Le Thi Thanh Huyen, Sinh Dang-Xuan and Unger, F. 2026. Strengthening animal and herd health for resilient livestock systems in Son La and Thai Nguyen, Vietnam. Policy Brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182682">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/182682</a> </li> <li>Nohrborg, S., Thinh, N.T. and Magnusson, U. 2026. Huy động nhân viên thuốc thú y ứng phó kháng kháng sinh trong chăn nuôi tại Việt Nam. Policy brief. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183643" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183643</a> </li> <li>Food Safety Technical Working Group in Vietnam. 2026. Vietnam Food Safety Working Group E-bulletin, 7 June 2026. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183646" target="_blank">https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183646</a></li> </ol> <p>Videos and Digital Platforms</p> <ol> <li>Vietnam’s Livestock Transformation: Building Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems <a href="https://youtu.be/FN7KZlc1o2g">https://youtu.be/FN7KZlc1o2g</a></li> <li>Sustainable livestock transformation in Vietnam: Insights from regional conference in Hanoi <a href="https://youtu.be/-wNp19EevXQ">https://youtu.be/-wNp19EevXQ</a></li> <li>Preventing transboundary animal diseases: Biosecurity – A shield against foot-and-mouth disease <a href="https://youtu.be/nGZVptATpvU">https://youtu.be/nGZVptATpvU</a> </li> <li>Africa–Asia Bioscience Challenge Fund (AABCF)- Building the next generation of bioscience leaders <a href="https://youtu.be/AIcUf-prATo">https://youtu.be/AIcUf-prATo</a></li> <li>World Food Safety Day 2026 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/977819525056618/">https://www.facebook.com/reel/977819525056618/</a> </li> <li>ADGG Nepal Data Platform: <a href="https://portal.adgg.ilri.org/nepal">https://portal.adgg.ilri.org/nepal</a> </li> </ol> <p>Media clippings</p> <p></p> <ol> <li><a href="https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1767265/mekong-sub-region-countries-push-to-curb-farm-chemical-use.html">https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1767265/mekong-sub-region-countries-push-to-curb-farm-chemical-use.html</a></li> <li><a href="https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/cac-nuoc-tieu-vung-mekong-thuc-day-giam-hoa-chat-nong-nghiep-d800461.html">https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/cac-nuoc-tieu-vung-mekong-thuc-day-giam-hoa-chat-nong-nghiep-d800461.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/video/xay-la-chan-an-toan-thuc-pham-tu-cach-tiep-can-mot-suc-khoe-tv815272.html">https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/video/xay-la-chan-an-toan-thuc-pham-tu-cach-tiep-can-mot-suc-khoe-tv815272.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/quoc-te-chung-tay-giam-ganh-nang-mat-an-toan-thuc-pham-d815262.html">https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/quoc-te-chung-tay-giam-ganh-nang-mat-an-toan-thuc-pham-d815262.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://baothainguyen.vn/tin-moi/202606/nhieu-hoat-dong-huong-ung-ngay-an-toan-thuc-pham-the-gioi-nam-2026-fb70de1/">https://baothainguyen.vn/tin-moi/202606/nhieu-hoat-dong-huong-ung-ngay-an-toan-thuc-pham-the-gioi-nam-2026-fb70de1/</a> </li> <li><a href="https://daidoanket.vn/hanh-dong-giam-thieu-cac-nguy-co-mat-an-toan-thuc-pham.html">https://daidoanket.vn/hanh-dong-giam-thieu-cac-nguy-co-mat-an-toan-thuc-pham.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://tuaf.edu.vn/bai-viet/dien-dan-an-toan-thuc-pham-trong-he-thong-luong-thuc-thuc-pham-cac-giai-phap-mot-suc-khoe-vi-thuc-pham-an-toan-hon-43583.html">https://tuaf.edu.vn/bai-viet/dien-dan-an-toan-thuc-pham-trong-he-thong-luong-thuc-thuc-pham-cac-giai-phap-mot-suc-khoe-vi-thuc-pham-an-toan-hon-43583.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://tuaf.edu.vn/bai-viet/le-trao-giai-cuoc-thi-sang-tao-ve-an-toan-thuc-pham-danh-cho-sinh-vien-43584.html">https://tuaf.edu.vn/bai-viet/le-trao-giai-cuoc-thi-sang-tao-ve-an-toan-thuc-pham-danh-cho-sinh-vien-43584.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1782928/viet-nam-marks-world-food-safety-day-with-one-health-push-in-thai-nguyen.html">https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1782928/viet-nam-marks-world-food-safety-day-with-one-health-push-in-thai-nguyen.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://www.ilri.org/index.php/news/world-food-safety-day-2026-highlights-one-health-solutions-safer-food-viet-nam">https://www.ilri.org/index.php/news/world-food-safety-day-2026-highlights-one-health-solutions-safer-food-viet-nam</a></li> <li><a href="https://congthuong.vn/dau-tu-cho-an-toan-thuc-pham-la-dau-tu-cho-phat-trien-ben-vung-462074.html">https://congthuong.vn/dau-tu-cho-an-toan-thuc-pham-la-dau-tu-cho-phat-trien-ben-vung-462074.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://baochinhphu.vn/khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-so-huong-toi-muc-tieu-loai-tru-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-102260626162043793.htm">https://baochinhphu.vn/khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-so-huong-toi-muc-tieu-loai-tru-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-102260626162043793.htm</a> </li> <li><a href="https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/quoc-te-khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-phong-chong-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-d818395.html">https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/quoc-te-khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-phong-chong-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-d818395.html</a> </li> <li><a href="https://van.nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/one-health-partners-in-viet-nam-launch-campaign-to-combat-rabies-d818422.html">https://van.nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/one-health-partners-in-viet-nam-launch-campaign-to-combat-rabies-d818422.html</a> </li> </ol> Chi Nguyen 44b42811-0eb7-4d9b-8c98-a5bd40c5fcf2 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/when-data-moves-beyond-counting-cases <p>As countries strengthen surveillance for dengue and chikungunya, a workshop in Nairobi challenged public health professionals to move beyond reporting outbreaks and start predicting them. For decades, disease surveillance has largely answered one question: What happened? Today’s public health challenges increasingly demand another: What is likely to happen next?</p> <p>That question brought epidemiologists, disease modelers and public health officers from across Kenya to a meeting room in Nairobi's Westlands area in March 2026. During the intensive training, participants drawn from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI), and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) explored not only how to build statistical models, but how to question them, interpret them, and use them to support decisions before outbreaks gain momentum.</p> <p>The statistical modelling for epidemiological research training workshop was the first major capacity-building activity under ARBO-WATCH, a three-year initiative funded by Wellcome Trust and led by a nine-institution consortium including ILRI, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), KEMRI, KNPHI and Ethiopian Public Health Institute. The project is building decision-support tools for dengue and chikungunya surveillance across Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.</p> <h2>Learning to see patterns differently</h2> <p>Before the workshop, most participants were doing what health professionals are trained to do: summarizing data, describing trends, and reporting numbers up a chain of command. What many had less opportunity to do was interrogate the models behind those numbers.</p> <p>Henry Kissinger, a research biostatistician at JKUAT who helped design and deliver the workshop, watched that change unfold over four days: “By the end of the training, participants were no longer just reading data outputs passively. They were questioning assumptions, identifying potential confounders, and thinking critically about how model results should inform public health decisions rather than simply accepting them at face value.”</p> <p>Using R, an open-source programming language widely used for statistical analysis, participants progressed from hypothesis testing and regression analysis to time-series modelling through a combination of lectures and practical sessions. The emphasis was less on theory and more on how statistical techniques can support outbreak preparedness, with hands-on exercises using real surveillance datasets running each afternoon.</p> <p>For Hellen Akengo, a research associate at ILRI, the biggest shift occurred during the time series sessions. Participants learned how to separate disease case numbers into their component patterns, identifying seasonal peaks, longer-term shifts, and background noise, and then using those patterns to forecast future transmission.</p> <p>“These approaches are directly applicable to tracking and predicting trends in dengue and chikungunya transmission,” Akengo said. “The emphasis on data visualization changed how I think about communicating findings to colleagues who do not work inside statistical models.”</p> <p><img data-entity-uuid="a42ffff1-d798-4f50-b223-f3684f200730" data-entity-type="file" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/IMG_2594.JPG" width="6960" height="4640" alt="Participants at the statistical modelling for epidemiological research training workshop (photo credit:ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga)."> </p><p>Participants at the statistical modelling for epidemiological research training workshop (photo credit:ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga).</p> <h2>Fostering collaboration across institutions</h2> <p>The workshop was also designed to break down institutional silos. Co-facilitator Caroline Mugo, a biostatistics lecturer at JKUAT, deliberately mixed researchers, epidemiologists, and public health officers across tables.</p> <p>“This encouraged interaction and mixing among participants from different backgrounds. Participants were encouraged to ask questions relevant to their specific data and work contexts, making the sessions more inclusive and practical,” Mugo said.</p> <p>Some participants went further, bringing their own datasets to the hands-on sessions for group analysis. Human disease data sat alongside mosquito surveillance records from real surveillance systems, not textbook examples. By the final day, mixed teams were presenting analyses together, often approaching the same dataset from different professional perspectives.</p> <p>“This group work was particularly valuable, as it fostered peer learning, collaboration, and the exchange of diverse perspectives,” said Mugo.</p> <p>For a project whose success depends on linking research with routine public health practice, those conversations may prove as important as the technical skills themselves. To ensure lasting impact, each institution nominated a champion to share the skills and knowledge with colleagues after the workshop.</p> <h2>Why modelling matters</h2> <p>The workshop also addressed challenges beyond statistical training. As Francis Ng’ang’a, from NPHI pointed out, Kenya already has a structured surveillance platform under the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response strategy. However, it is “often more reactive than predictive”.</p> <p>“Data timeliness, quality and completeness remain major challenges, especially at subnational levels where reporting emanates,” he said.</p> <p>Another obstacle is that human clinical data, animal health information, mosquito surveillance, and environmental datasets are often collected through separate systems that do not easily communicate with one another. Without integrating these datasets, predictive models cannot provide the comprehensive picture that decision-makers need. Even when models generate useful insights, Ng'ang'a said they only have value if they can be translated into clear, actionable evidence that informs policy and outbreak response.</p> <p>He plans to apply the methods within routine surveillance work while helping colleagues adopt similar approaches: “I hope to contribute to a growing community of practice by sharing knowledge, mentoring peers, and supporting the institutionalization of modeling approaches within public health systems.”</p> <h2>Building the people behind the models</h2> <p>ARBO-WATCH runs until January 2028. In year two, the consortium will run longitudinal cohort studies to validate the predictive models. Year three will translate those models into decision-support tools that frontline health systems can use if a dengue or chikungunya signal emerges.</p> <p>What this training produced is the human infrastructure those tools will need to produce results: people inside Kenya’s public health institutions who understand what the models are doing and can explain it to the decision-makers.</p> <p>The question the workshop set out to answer was practical. Can a mixed group of Kenyan health professionals, given four days and the right curriculum, move from describing disease data to modeling it? The answer, based on what happened in Nairobi in March, is yes. What happens next depends on whether their institutions give them the room to use what they learned.</p> Geoffrey Luis Njenga b074283b-d703-4e1b-aea5-83d9f9ac8aaa Mon, 06 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/solving-last-mile-problem-nigerias-rural-poultry-farmers <h2 class="title">Turning backyard poultry keeping into profitable businesses</h2> <p>Most rural households across Nigeria keep chickens. The birds provide even the poorest families with both much-needed cash income and nourishing food. But these millions of rural smallholder and backyard chicken farmers face a major problem: they struggle to get hold of healthy day-old chicks—the starter stock that is the foundation of any poultry enterprise.</p> <p>Most of the hatcheries producing day-old chicks in Nigeria are concentrated in the southwest of the country, far from farmers in other regions, especially in the north and east, who are forced to travel up to 10 hours to find chicks to buy. Such distances raise costs and stress and weaken the birds, with many chicks dying on the journey.</p> <p>This "last-mile" problem is one of the most critical bottlenecks in Nigeria’s poultry system—and one that mostly affects the poorest farmers, many of whom are women. Such farmers also have to contend with high chicken feed costs, fluctuating market prices, and deadly outbreaks of poultry diseases. Together, these obstacles are preventing Nigeria’s rural poultry farmers from building viable businesses.</p> <blockquote><p>To help people in major farming nations lift themselves out of poverty, it’s smart to start with the assets people already have and build from there. Across Nigeria, even the poorest households raise a few chickens. That, other than human ingenuity, ambition, and muscle, is their major asset.<br>—Ijudai Jasada, ILRI innovation and scaling expert</p> </blockquote> <h5> </h5> <h4>Bringing the chicken hatchery closer to the farmer</h4> <p>One solution would be simply to bring the country’s chick production closer to its rural farmers. Instead of farmers having to rely on a few large hatcheries far from their communities, a network of community-level hatcheries could be located in the country’s underserved rural regions.</p> <p>This is the solution being piloted by a research project known as the (uncatchy) "Sustainable Decentralized Dual-purpose Chick and Input Supply Delivery System", or DDCDS. The simple shift from centralized to decentralized chick production, the research shows, has true transformative potential. By shortening the distance between hatchery and farm, transport time and costs drop dramatically and chicks arrive on farms alive and healthy.</p> <p>Crucially, these hatcheries would act as local "service hubs", not only supplying the farmers with day-old chicks but also connecting them to affordable feed, veterinary services, poultry training, and financial credit. Another key feature is the project’s focus on "dual-purpose" chickens—hardy native breeds improved by geneticists and developed to produce both meat and eggs. While consumer and farmer demand for these breeds is rising across Nigeria, supply has not kept pace. Linking community hatcheries with local farmers producing fertile eggs fixes that.</p> <p>And the benefits of such a model extend beyond individual farmers. Decentralizing hatcheries by necessity creates new business opportunities, especially for women and young people, with new jobs opening for hatchery operators and technicians, for feed suppliers and transporters, for vets and market sellers.</p> <p> </p> <h4>Bringing solutions to those that need them</h4> <p> </p> <blockquote><p>A day in the life of a Nigerian chicken farmer in Kaduna State</p> <p>Every day at dawn, a chicken farmer steps outside her mud-brick house and walks across an earthen courtyard to a small wire-mesh chicken coop to water a dozen clucking birds and scatter local grains and cassava peels among them. She counts her birds, checking them for signs of sickness and looking for chicks too weak to stand, and collects any eggs her hens have laid that night in the bare earth.</p> <p>After making her family tea and porridge, she sweeps the chicken droppings out of the coop and spreads fresh bedding on the floor. Midmorning, she carefully packs a handful of eggs to carry to her local market to sell. The egg money she gets, and the occasional chicken she sells, help to pay for school fees—and for soap, cooking oil, medicines, batteries or airtime.</p> <p>Back at home, as she turns to other farm chores—tilling, weeding, and watering her family’s cassava, maize, bean, or vegetable plots—her chickens scratch the earth around her. She watches the sky for hawks as well as rain. Mostly she watches for signs of the dreaded poultry Newcastle disease. (One dead bird means lost income; a dozen dead can spell disaster—children pulled from school, undernourished toddlers, drug treatments stopped.)</p> <p>In the afternoon heat, she moves panting birds into shade, brings them more water, and may feed them crushed garlic, herbs, or other traditional medicines. At dusk, she waters and feeds them again, counts them again, and collects their eggs again. After cooking her family dinner, she checks the roosting chickens one last time with her torch (predators hunt at night) before sleeping.</p> <p>This daily mundane routine of hers is a model of constrained resourcefulness and industry, combining, as it does, bookkeeping without paper, veterinary care without training, logistics without transport, and business management without capital.</p> <p>Across rural Nigeria, this woman and tens of millions of others like her are not just raising chickens. They are holding their households together, one bird and one egg at a time.</p> </blockquote> <h5> </h5> <h4>A "Scaling Readiness" workshop to take research innovations to scale</h4> <p>The CGIAR’s unique "Scaling Readiness" protocol flips traditional research from "innovate first, scale later" to: (1) Determine the potential bottlenecks to scaling an innovation early in the innovation process by (2) convening a meeting of all the major stakeholders in implementing that solution; and together with those diverse stakeholders (3) build realistic pathways for scaling that innovation in a specific context.</p> <blockquote><p>Too many promising solutions to agricultural problems get stuck in their pilot phases (dubbed the "valley of death") because the researchers developing the solutions are unable to secure the wider partnerships, capacities, and investments needed to reach people at scale. To change that, we’re going to have to move those innovations along a pathway to impacts. That’s the premise of a systematic and evidenced-based approach to scaling innovations developed and used by CGIAR called "Scaling Readiness".<br>—Edwin Kang’ethe, CGIAR scaling and innovation expert</p> </blockquote> <p>The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) recently convened an Innovation Package and Scaling Readiness (IPSR) workshop in Ibadan to co-develop and refine the DDCDS model with key stakeholders. Because it takes a whole system—research, finance, logistics , local enterprise—to deliver healthy chicks to rural farmers, the workshop brought together hatchery operators and breeders, feed producers and vets, chick transporters and poultry geneticists, government agencies and policymakers, microfinance institutions and agricultural extension services, and business advisors and non-governmental organizations.</p> <p>The workshop expertly guided the participants through a structured process to determine potential bottlenecks the project could face and ways to resolve them as well as what "enablers"—the conditions, capacities, institutions, incentives, and support systems—would help the innovation scale successfully and sustainably. The participants then together developed a phased implementation roadmap for the project.</p> <p>By scaling this "decentralized" model, the project team estimates that Nigeria’s rural poultry productivity can be increased by 20–30% within the next three years. By 2030, ILRI and its partners aim to operationalize the DDCDS model across five Nigerian states, establishing 15 decentralized delivery systems and directly engage 1,500 farm households. The model is expected to generate approximately 6,000 jobs through hatchery operations and node-level activities along the broader value chain. In addition, the intervention seeks to expand access to affordable meat and eggs for 200,000 households in peri-urban communities.</p> <blockquote><p>Nigeria does not lack demand for poultry. Nor does it lack farmers willing to raise chickens. What it lacks is a system that delivers the right inputs, in the right places, at the right times. The DDCDS approach addresses these gaps directly. By bringing chick hatcheries and poultry inputs closer to the country’s farming communities, we can build more inclusive and efficient supply chains that in turn create more reliable pathways out of poverty.<br>—Adebola Adebayo, ILRI technology transfer specialist</p> </blockquote> <h3>Image caption</h3> <p>Smallholder chickens in Nigeria (photo credit: ILRI)</p> <h3>Read more</h3> <ul class="list-group list-group-flush"><li class="list-group-item"><a href="https://www.scalingreadiness.org" target="">On the Scaling Readiness method</a></li><li class="list-group-item"><a href="https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-portfolio-2025-2030/scaling-impact" target="">On the CGIAR Scaling for Impact Program</a></li><li class="list-group-item"><a href="https://www.ilri.org/research/themes/innovations-scaling-and-impact" target="">On ILRI's Impact at Scale Program</a></li></ul> <h3>Donor acknowledgement</h3> <p>This project was supported by SAAF Catalytic Fund, a funding mechanism within CGIAR's Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) science program that supports promising innovations, partnerships, and scaling opportunities in livestock and aquatic food systems. The fund is intended to help research teams and partners move innovative ideas from pilot stage toward broader adoption and impact.</p> Susan MacMillan beef2c3a-9c4d-4f20-b87d-505069f82d79 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/ethiopia-rewriting-its-livestock-future-science-center <p>Across low- and middle-income countries, animal-sourced foods are a nutritional foundation. Meat, milk, and eggs deliver protein, micronutrients, and calories that are difficult to replace, particularly for children, women of reproductive age, and rural populations.  </p> <p>In Ethiopia, as across much of sub-Saharan Africa, strengthening the food systems that produce and deliver these foods is inseparable from reducing malnutrition and building long-term resilience. Ethiopia holds the<a href="https://ess.gov.et/download/6-the_6_2014_agss_2014-livestock-report_final-3/?wpdmdl=8993&refresh=6a3d186dcd08c1782388845" target="_blank"> largest livestock population</a> on the African continent, with over 70 million cattle, 52.5 million goats, 42.9 million sheep, and 8.1 million camels. But although its potential to contribute to productive food systems is immense, the sector has historically been significantly underutilized. Now, that is in the process of changing, as Ethiopia is in the middle of an ambitious transformation.  </p> <p>The country's 10-year <a href="https://www.moa.gov.et/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MoA-10-years-plan-working-document.pdf" target="_blank">Agricultural Transformation Plan</a> sets targets that would see the country producing 28.4 billion liters of milk, 1.7 million tons of meat, 5.5 billion eggs, and 260,000 tons of fish annually. <a href="https://www.dpgethiopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ethiopian-Food-System-and-Nutrition-Synthesis-Report.pdf" target="_blank">Its Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition pathway</a> spans 16 ministries. Its dairy sector — one of the largest in Africa by herd size — is restructuring around a new national strategy. Achieving these targets requires building the institutional infrastructure to match the ambition.</p> <p>That is where the work of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Ethiopia has been most consequential.</p> <h3>Measuring a transformation</h3> <p>Livestock do not sit apart from food systems. For hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers, animals are simultaneously a source of food, income, draught power, and financial resilience, making them central to any serious effort to transform how food is produced, distributed, and consumed.</p> <p>At the broadest level, ILRI has spent two years helping Ethiopia answer a question that is easy to overlook but impossible to avoid: how do you know if a food systems transformation is working?</p> <p>As knowledge partner to Ethiopia's Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition pathway, ILRI led the development of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework spanning all 16 implementing ministries. The process ran from October 2023 to July 2025 and involved systematic review of global indicators, iterative stakeholder consultations, and a national validation workshop. The framework was formally endorsed by the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee, and the Ministry of Agriculture has already mainstreamed its indicators into the 2025/2026 fiscal year planning cycle. Other ministries are following.</p> <p>Fikru Regassa, State Minister of Agriculture, described the significance plainly: </p> <blockquote><p>"Effective monitoring and evaluation are the cornerstones of our efforts to transform Ethiopia's food systems. By systematically tracking progress, we ensure that our strategies are not only effective but also sustainable."  </p> </blockquote> <h3>Building the tools for investment</h3> <p>In May 2025, the Ethiopian government launched the <a href="https://www.ilri.org/news/newly-launched-investment-handbook-outlines-opportunities-ethiopias-livestock-and-fishery" target="_blank">Ethiopian Livestock and Fisheries Investment Handbook</a>— a practical guide mapping business opportunities across the full livestock and fisheries value chain, from ranch-based beef and dairy production to cage fish farming, poultry hatcheries, and feed processing. The handbook was developed by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with ILRI, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, and national research institutes. ILRI coordinated the review and editing process, ensuring investment options are grounded in scientific evidence and practical field experience.</p> <p>The handbook is anchored directly in national targets and designed to catalyze the private investment needed to reach them. It lays out Ethiopia's investor-friendly regulatory environment — tax incentives, duty-free capital imports, competitive land lease rates — alongside the sector-specific opportunity data that investors and policymakers need to act.</p> <p>As Namukolo Covic, ILRI's Director General Representative to Ethiopia, noted at the launch:</p> <blockquote><p>"Research must continue to develop new production approaches that improve efficiencies. Let this handbook be a living document that must be updated regularly as you generate innovations, technologies, and production practices across entire value chains."</p> </blockquote> <h3>Reshaping how the dairy sector governs itself</h3> <p>That same year, ILRI partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture to establish and launch the Ethiopian Dairy Innovation and Development Platform (EDIDP) — a national multi-stakeholder initiative designed to coordinate investments, scale innovations, and <a href="https://www.ilri.org/news/ilri-signs-agreements-seven-universities-collaborate-practical-innovations-ethiopias-dairy" target="_blank">drive implementation of the National Dairy Development Strategy.</a> It is the first platform of its kind in Ethiopia's dairy sector.</p> <p>EDIDP operates through five technical working groups covering dairy genetics and breeding, feed and nutrition, animal health, extension and husbandry, and processing and marketing. ILRI scientists are embedded in all five. The platform's governance structure — a steering committee chaired by the state minister of agriculture, with ILRI and the Ethiopia Dairy Association as co-chairs — reflects the depth of ILRI's institutional integration.</p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8603f831-1c33-47cd-8f50-5e170dc3415e" height="400" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/ethiopian_dairy.jpg" width="600"> Stakeholders came together for the inaugural workshop of EDIDP. (Photo credit: ILRI/Agegnehu Alene). <p>This is not a research program running parallel to government. It is ILRI helping to build the architecture through which government, researchers, the private sector, and farmers work toward shared dairy sector goals. EDIDP lays the groundwork for a future National Dairy Board — a long-term institutional milestone that will anchor sector governance and accountability. This work is all the more important at a time when demand for milk and dairy products is rising faster than supply can keep pace.  </p> <h3>Science embedded in the system</h3> <p>Taken together, these three contributions — a national monitoring framework, an investment guide, a sector platform — reflect something beyond conventional research impact. They show ILRI operating as a sustained institutional partner: shaping the instruments through which Ethiopia plans, invests, governs, and measures its livestock and food systems transformation.</p> <p>The science matters. So does the capacity to move it from evidence into policy, and from policy into practice. </p> Daniel Hailemichael 486f06e2-6145-4187-b9e8-338e535eb496 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/towards-rabies-elimination-viet-nam-one-health-partners-launch-national-digital-communication <p>One Health partners in Viet Nam are launching a digital communication campaign to strengthen public awareness of rabies prevention, responsible dog and cat ownership and vaccination, timely access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and multisectoral action towards Viet Nam’s goal of zero human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030. </p> <p>The initiative is jointly organized by Vietnam One Health Partnership partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) in Viet Nam, the International Livestock Research Institute (<a href="https://www.ilri.org/">ILRI</a>), Humane World for Animals (HWA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Viet Nam, the Vietnam One Health Partnership (OHP) and the Institute of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development (IEHSD), in collaboration with Viet Nam Administration of Disease Prevention (Ministry of Health) and Department of Animal Health and Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment). The campaign will run from June to September and culminate around World Rabies Day on 28 September 2026. </p> <p>Three communications events are planned as follows: </p> <ol> <li>Communication event 1 (26th June 2026): “Enjoy Summer Safely, Stay Away from Rabies – Safe Interaction Rules for Children Around Dogs and Cats”. </li> <li>Communication event 2 (August 2026): “Understanding Rabies Vaccination for Dogs, Cats and Humans” </li> <li>Communication event 3 (September 2026): “Towards Rabies Elimination in Viet Nam” </li> </ol> <p>The communications initiatives will feature expert presentations, interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions and practical communication materials aimed at increasing public engagement and awareness. </p> <p>Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease transmitted mainly through bites or scratches from infected dogs and cats. It is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but it is preventable through dog and cat vaccination, proper wound care and timely PEP. </p> <p>In recent years, Viet Nam still records approximately 70–100 human rabies deaths each year. In 2025, 77 deaths were reported across 20 provinces and cities, and more than one million people received PEP. In the first three months of 2026, 13 human rabies deaths were recorded, mainly in southern provinces.</p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="744691ce-e512-4b3c-be53-86648470316d" height="398" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/1_20.jpg" width="770"> Dinh Kim Xuyen, former deputy head of the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program, speaks at Communication Event 1, “Enjoy Summer Safely, Stay Away from Rabies: Safe Interaction Rules for Children Around Dogs and Cats.” (photo credit: WHO/My Pham.) <p>Children remain one of the most vulnerable groups due to their frequent interactions with dogs, particularly during summer holidays. At the same time, dog and cat vaccination coverage remains insufficient in many localities and has yet to reach the levels required (70 per cent) to establish effective herd immunity.</p> <p>The Government of Viet Nam has demonstrated strong commitment to the goal “Zero by 30” through the National Rabies Prevention and Control Programme for 2022–2030, which identifies the period from 2026 to 2030 as a critical acceleration phase to reduce human rabies deaths, increase vaccination coverage among dogs and cats, and move towards nationwide rabies elimination. </p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="54c31b04-4ca2-4ad9-b874-aaf437f4e5fe" height="437" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/2_11.jpg" width="785"> Pham Thanh Long from Vietnam Department of Animal Health and Production speaks about rabies vaccination regulations for dog and cat owners (photo credit: WHO/My Pham). <p>Through the One Health approach, the campaign brings together health, veterinary, education, communication and community actors to promote clear, practical actions to protect people and animals from rabies.</p> <p>Watch the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ILRIAsia/videos/997697649535816">Communication event 1</a></p> <p>Read more media articles about the events:</p> <p><a href="https://van.nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/one-health-partners-in-viet-nam-launch-campaign-to-combat-rabies-d818422.html">https://van.nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/one-health-partners-in-viet-nam-launch-campaign-to-combat-rabies-d818422.html</a> (In English) </p> <p><a href="https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/quoc-te-khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-phong-chong-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-d818395.html">https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/quoc-te-khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-phong-chong-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-d818395.html</a> (In Vietnamese) </p> <p><a href="https://baochinhphu.vn/khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-so-huong-toi-muc-tieu-loai-tru-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-102260626162043793.htm">https://baochinhphu.vn/khoi-dong-chien-dich-truyen-thong-so-huong-toi-muc-tieu-loai-tru-benh-dai-tai-viet-nam-102260626162043793.htm</a> (In Vietnamese) </p> Chi Nguyen 007aad6e-cb05-405e-b13b-2607a88ddb4f Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/maximizing-value-manure-how-local-data-can-help-african-smallholder-farmers-recycle-nutrients <p>In sub-Saharan Africa, livestock are the backbone of smallholder farming. Far from just being a source of food, cattle are central to sustainable crop-livestock integration by providing essential plant nutrients through their manure. For millions of farmers, cattle manure is an invaluable bioresource: a natural fertilizer essential for boosting crop yields, protecting soil health, and securing local food systems.</p> <p>However, because most historical agricultural frameworks were developed for temperate climates, there is a severe shortage of localized data on how tropical environments affect manure during storage under local practices. When manure is stored in traditional uncovered heaps, plant nutrients like nitrogen can easily get lost to the atmosphere via gaseous emissions or wash away with heavy rains before reaching the crop fields. Some of the lost gases are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as methane and nitrous oxide (N2O), which cause global warming.</p> <p></p> <img alt="Dairy cattle on a smallholder farm" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="06a678fb-a264-4633-a2cb-ea1b2004a932" height="428" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Dairy%20cattle.jpg" width="641"> Manure from cattle is an essential organic fertilizer, supporting crop production in many smallholder farms across the Global South. (Photo credit: ILRI/Sonja Leitner) <p>To address this, the research team led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) set out to better protect the vital nutrients from being lost via leaching or emissions and, at the same time, aimed to develop regional baselines ´and practical interventions for climate change mitigation. It is important to note that studying these emissions is not about placing blame on smallholder farmers for practicing essential, life-sustaining agriculture; it is about developing strategies which co-benefit farmers through nutrient preservation and the climate through accurate, regional GHG assessments. </p> <p>Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666916126000666?via%3Dihub">latest study</a>, published in “Resources, Environment and Sustainability”, aimed to contribute to that. By gathering real-world, region-specific data, we investigated how different storage practices affect manure quality, nutrient leaching losses, and GHG emissions, demonstrating how farmers can better safeguard this vital nutrient resource in a sustainable, climate-friendly way.</p> <p>We can only optimize and protect what we accurately measure. To create a reliable baseline of manure nutrient composition and losses for African smallholder systems, our team set up a 145-day outdoor storage experiment at ILRI’s <a href="https://www.ilri.org/research/facilities/mazingira-centre">Mazingira Centre</a> in Nairobi, Kenya.</p> <h2>Measuring what’s there and what’s lost </h2> <p>We monitored 30 cattle manure heaps (each weighing 200 kg), testing how different amendment and storage setups affect manure nutrient turnover, leaching losses, and nitrous oxide and methane emissions:</p> <ul> <li>manure only (uncovered vs. covered)</li> <li>manure + straw bedding (uncovered vs. covered)</li> <li>manure + charcoal amendment (uncovered vs. covered)</li> </ul> <p></p> <img alt="Experimental setup" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e2dd5f7f-b52b-4667-821e-6fb6c7eefa1d" height="587" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/manure4.jpg" width="440"> This is our experimental setup with 30 large containers, each holding 200 kg of fresh manure. This setup allowed us to monitor nutrient leaching and GHG emissions from the stored manure. (Photo credit: ILRI/Yuhao Zhu) <br> <h2>Key insights for climate-friendly farming</h2> <p>Our findings offer a clear picture of how carbon and nitrogen move through these storage systems, highlighting where nutrients are being lost, how emissions behave, and how this changes manure fertilizer quality.</p> <h3>1. Managing the straw trade-off</h3> <p>Many farmers use crop residues, such as straw, as bedding for their animals. These residues mix with manure and are then collected into manure heaps. While this is excellent for adding organic bulk and helps to recover nitrogen in animal housing by soaking up urine, our data revealed a major trade-off: straw-amended treatments lost more nitrogen. In fact, they experienced three times more nitrogen leaching and emitted twice as much N2O than manure stored on its own.</p> <p></p> <img alt="Manure plus bedding outside a cattle barn" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="179cd61c-fb3e-43d8-adcf-a26d458e4353" height="401" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Manure%20plus%20bedding%20outside%20a%20cattle%20barn.JPG" width="601"> When manure is stored like this, it loses a lot of its nitrogen. Covering the heap and storing it on a water-proof surface can prevent this. (Photo credit: ILRI/Sonja Leitner) <p>While adding bedding to animal housing is good practice for several reasons, ranging from animal welfare to nutrient recovery, the takeaway from our study is that manure heaps should be stored on water-proof flooring to protect water bodies from contamination. And our results on covering were inconclusive due to the type of cover that we built (small roofs 10 cm above the manure heaps rather than directly on top of the heaps), others have shown that covering manure heaps with locally-available plant materials (such as hay or banana leaves) reduces leaching and GHG emissions. Therefore, we also recommend this strategy.</p> <h3>2. "Charging" charcoal with nutrients</h3> <p>We also found that adding locally-produced charcoal to the manure helped to suppress methane emissions. Methane is a potent but short-lived GHG, and <a href="https://www.globalmethanepledge.org/">recent efforts</a> have targeted methane reduction as a way to buy more time in the fight against climate change. Adding carbonized materials (charcoal or engineered biochar) also helps to boost soil health and water-holding capacity, particularly in tropical soils. Therefore, charcoal addition can be a promising strategy for farmers who want to enhance the fertility and stability of their cropland soils.</p> <p></p> <img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c18efcf6-fca4-48b4-883c-afae5eafb4ef" height="222" src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Manure%20at%20filling.png" width="513"> Adding charcoal to livestock manure (picture on the right) can help to retain plant nutrients and improve soil fertility while also reducing methane emissions. It is especially important to cover the manure+charcoal mix, because rain can wash away the nutrients bound to the charcoal surface. (Photo credig: ILRI) <p>Adding charcoal to manure  presents a good opportunity for a dual-benefit intervention: using the manure storage phase to "charge" the charcoal with plant-available nutrients before it is applied to fields, with the co-benefit of reducing manure methane emissions that are harmful to the climate. When charcoal is added to manure, it is especially important to also cover the heap during storage to prevent nutrients that are bound to the surface of the charcoal from being washed away or converted into N2O.</p> <h3>3. Correcting global GHG inventories</h3> <p>Through our GHG measurements, we found that both methane​ and N2​O emissions exceeded standard Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default values for solid manure storage in warm climates. This is critical because many African nations use default IPCC factors for their national GHG reporting, as local, context-specific data on manure emissions are often not available.</p> <p>However, using default values for manure emissions can cause over- or (in our case) underestimation of the actual GHG emissions from smallholder manure management. Finding these high GHG emissions in our experiment was somewhat surprising, because during previous studies, we often found that actual emissions were in fact lower than IPCC default factors.</p> <p><img src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/Graphical%20abstract.png" data-entity-uuid="e56f87d3-0d09-4c8d-9758-1c7858b28f98" data-entity-type="file" alt="Graphical abstract" width="994" height="416"> </p><p>The reason for this discrepancy is that GHG emissions depend on a multitude of factors and are highly dynamic. Our recent findings show that it’s not enough to measure emissions only once in a single case study, but that multiple studies covering different management scenarios are needed to build robust datasets that accurately represent what is actually going on. Building these robust, local monitoring inventories is step number one to unlocking international climate support and developing reliable real-world mitigation options.</p> <h3>4. Recognizing denitrification as a critical nitrogen loss pathway</h3> <p>While the N2O emissions that we measured only removed around 1–2 % of the nitrogen in the manure, stable isotope measurements revealed that most of the N2O produced in the manure was further converted to dinitrogen gas (N2), which was invisible to our detector. This happened through the pathway of microbial denitrification. </p> <p>While N2 is environmentally benign (most of the air around us consists of N2 and is completely harmless), denitrification represents a major pathway for nitrogen loss from manure. Future studies should therefore pay very close attention to how manure interventions affect denitrification and how this process can be modulated to increase nutrient circularity in crop-livestock integration.</p> <h2>Empowering farmers with localized science</h2> <p>Ultimately, this research isn't about pointing fingers at livestock systems; it is about providing local evidence to strengthen them. Management interventions from other global regions might not be realistically achievable for smallholder farmers who need simple, cheap options that provide co-benefits for their farming operations. Relying on global default data (like generic IPCC values) fails to capture the nuances of African agriculture, often underestimating the baseline dynamics of these systems. </p> <p>By establishing precise, regional data, we can design smarter, low-cost interventions. Helping smallholders shield their manure heaps from rain or strategically integrate local amendments like charcoal means more nitrogen stays right where it belongs: feeding the soil and growing the crops that sustain communities.</p> <p></p> <h2><img src="https://cdn-icons-png.flaticon.com/512/8541/8541887.png" alt="Call to action - Free marketing icons" width="40" height="40">Join the discussion</h2> <p>Are you working on nutrient circularity, soil science, or sustainable crop-livestock integration? We'd love to hear how you manage resource preservation in your region.</p> <ul> <li>Link to the study: Read our complete methodology and findings here: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resenv.2026.100352">Manure management in African smallholder farms affects greenhouse gas emissions and leachate losses</a> </li> <li>Connect with us: Join our <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/10052047/">LinkedIn group</a> to collaborate on circular agricultural solutions!</li> </ul> <h5>Funding acknowledgement</h5> <p>This st<img src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/CIRNA_Logo.jpg" data-entity-uuid="c1a0bf04-9b3d-4c1e-ab73-712153a78433" data-entity-type="file" width="99" height="103" class="align-left">udy was supported by the Solution-oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) program, a joint initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), through the CIRNA project (CIRcularity of Nutrients in Agroecosystems and co-benefits for animal and human health). Further support was received from the CGIAR Trust Fund and the Ballmer Group. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Sonja Leitner b13578c6-cbdb-40df-b2c0-ea2322109b59 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed https://www.ilri.org/news/ilri-researcher-awarded-usd-145-million-grant-advance-ai-driven-data-analyses-genomics <p>The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is pleased to announce that<a href="https://www.ilri.org/people/samuel-o-oyola"> Samuel Oyola</a> has been awarded a USD 1.45 million grant from the <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/">Gates Foundation </a>to lead an innovative research program aimed at strengthening data analytics, epidemic intelligence and and public health decision making through the integration of wastewater genomic surveillance, clinical data, and artificial intelligence (AI).</p> <p>The project , titled “Deploying AI Innovation for Bioinformatics and Genomic Epidemiology​,” will build on ILRI’s pioneering wastewater environmental surveillance platform that has been operating continuously for the past three years across urban centers in Kenya.</p> <p>The initiative leverages a large longitudinal dataset generated from high-frequency wastewater sampling and shotgun metagenomic sequencing across 30 urban catchments. By integrating environmental genomic data with clinical infectious disease and AMR datasets, the project aims to develop predictive AI-driven models capable of identifying outbreak signals and emerging antimicrobial resistance trends earlier than conventional surveillance systems.</p> <p>Speaking about the award, Oyola noted that the project represents an important step toward the development of scalable, data-driven public health systems for Africa and other low- and middle-income settings.</p> <blockquote><p>“This work brings together waste water surveillance, genomics, epidemiology, artificial intelligence, and public health to create practical early-warning systems capable of detecting disease threats and antimicrobial resistance in near real time. The vision is to transform complex genomic data into actionable public health intelligence that supports faster and more informed decision-making,” said Oyola.</p> </blockquote> <p>The project aligns closely with global priorities on pandemic preparedness, integrated disease surveillance, and AMR mitigation. It will combine advanced metagenomic analytics, machine learning, and interpretable AI approaches to model pathogen transmission dynamics and resistance patterns at population level.</p> <p>Key outputs of the project are expected to include:</p> <ul> <li>AI-enabled predictive models; </li> <li>Integrated environmental and clinical surveillance datasets; </li> <li>Practical frameworks for incorporating wastewater-based epidemiology into routine public health systems; </li> <li>Policy guidance and implementation tools for Ministries of Health, Livestock, Environments and surveillance agencies; and </li> <li>Capacity strengthening in genomic epidemiology and AI-driven public health analytics. </li> </ul> <p>As part of the grant, the program will also support two fully funded PhD positions and a postdoctoral candidate focused on  the intersection of genomics, modelling, and public health decision making. The candidates will be based at ILRI Nairobi and will work closely with international collaborators at the University of Oxford and the Global Pathogen Analysis Platform (GPAP) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The projects will contribute to the development of next-generation “agentic AI” systems capable of automating genomic analyses and generating real-time public health insights through interactive surveillance dashboards and decision-support tools.</p> <p>ILRI has emerged as a continental leader in genomic surveillance and wastewater-based epidemiology, supporting African Union member states through training, capacity development, and implementation of innovative surveillance technologies. The institute’s wastewater surveillance program has already processed thousands of samples and generated extensive pathogen and antimicrobial resistance profiles to support public health preparedness and response.</p> <p>This new Gates Foundation funding further strengthens ILRI’s role as a regional hub for advanced genomics, AI-enabled surveillance, and translational research.</p> <h3>Contact</h3> <ul class="list-unstyled"><li> <a href="https://www.ilri.org/people/samuel-o-oyola" class="card-link"></a> <img src="https://www.ilri.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/Sam-ipad7a.jpg?itok=K5IgpAQe" class="img-fluid rounded" alt="Samuel O. Oyola"> <h3 class="card-title mb-1">Samuel O. Oyola</h3> <p class="card-text m-0">Senior Scientist: Molecular Biologist and Head of Genomics</p> </li></ul> Geoffrey Luis Njenga c6aa6682-84cb-4f70-aaed-dc07ed459eb4 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 RSS Feed