Cattle farmers in Vientiane, Lao PDR

ILRI's interdisciplinary livestock insights at SAADC 2023

ILRI News
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At the 9th International Conference on Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries (SAADC2023) held in Lao PDR from November 21-24, 2023, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) conducted a session on advancing sustainable livestock systems. During the afternoon of Day 4, ILRI researchers and partners engaged in discussions covering topics ranging from food safety to genetic improvements, showcasing their commitment to interdisciplinary approaches.

ILRI leads a session on sustainable livestock systems at SAADC2023 in Lao PDR (photo credit: ILRI/Chi Nguyen).

The session commenced with a presentation by Sinh Dang on 'One Health for the food system: A South-South perspective,' emphasizing the significance of involving policymakers and implementing interventions for sustainable and safe food production. Fred Unger followed with a presentation on ensuring the safety of pork from traditional markets, advocating for light-touch interventions to improve food safety in traditional markets in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Nguyen Phuong Anh from the National Institute of Animal Sciences (NIAS) presented a case study from Hoa Binh province, Northwest Vietnam, highlighting opportunities for smallholders in indigenous Ban pig production to integrate into an improved pork value chain. The presentation not only delved into challenges faced by smallholders but also introduced interventions to empower this community and the value chain.

Hoa Hoang presented the 'Asian Chicken Genetic Gains (AsCGG)' project, positioning it as a platform to explore, test, and deliver improved chickens for enhanced livelihood outcomes in Southeast Asia. Alongside a comprehensive review of poultry literature in Vietnam and Cambodia, preliminary assessments in the targeted countries revealed promising results, including high survival and growth rates and a positive feed conversion ratio.

Anthony Whitbread underscored the importance of sustainable smallholder crop-livestock systems, emphasizing their pivotal role in providing meat, milk, and staple cereals in low- and middle-income countries. The presentation showcased two long-term programs, USAID’s FtF Africa RISING work in Tanzania and the ACIAR-funded ZimCLIFFS project in Zimbabwe, as examples of long-term 'systems' approaches, layering a range of sustainable intensification and diversification strategies to improve smallholder farming systems.

Key stakeholders discuss challenges and opportunities in regional livestock at SAADC2023, emphasizing interdisciplinary solutions (photo credit: ILRI/Chi Nguyen).

The plenary discussion brought together insights from panelists from the Laos Department of Livestock, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), ILRI, and the private sector. The discussion addressed key challenges and opportunities for developing the livestock sector in the region, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches. Panellists identified key obstacles, including the need for standardization, market access, and increased investment in research and development. The discussion underscored the important role of the private sector in driving investments and highlighted the necessity of collaboration between government, private enterprises, and smallholders.

Participants engage with presenters, posing questions and providing feedback at the side event (photo credit: ILRI/Chi Nguyen).

Explore additional photos from SAADC 2023 on ILRI Flickr.