Agriculture in India is rapidly changing. Demand for meat, milk and eggs—more than 70% of which is produced by smallholder mixed crop-and-livestock farmers—is expected to rise as much as 50% by 2050. A net importer of dairy products only 20 years ago, India is now one of the world’s principal milk producers and meat exporters. In supporting equitable growth and environmental sustainability, ILRI in India has prioritized a number of key areas to: link smallholder farmers to the market in response to rising demand for livestock products; manage food safety and health risks associated with livestock; and assist smallholder and landless farmers in diversifying livestock production.
As a CGIAR research centre working for a food-secure future, ILRI in India participates in three CGIAR research programs: Livestock; Grain Legume and Dryland Cereals; and Agriculture for Nutrition and Health. The institute also participates in a number of bilateral research-for-development projects in the region.
In recent years, in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, universities, government departments, private and NGOs, ILRI research has identified evidence to improve the productivity, sustainability and safety of the livestock sector, strengthened the capacity of local partners and support local government organizations and other partners in scaling up interventions. Supporting and complementing the work of the national agricultural research system (NARS), ILRI in India primarily works in the fields of food safety and zoonosis, feed and fodder innovation, livestock economics, value chain development and policy support to government.
