Future research needs to meet

livestock development challenges

Carlos Seré and Iain Wright

Keynote Address, Asian Assoc. Animal Production, Hanoi, September 2008

New approaches to research and

knowledge management

Science based solutions

to emerging issues

Changing needs In livestock sector

Scope of presentation

1. Livestock in a changing world

2. Livestock and the poor

3. New approaches for livestock research and researchers

4. Research challenges

5. Dairy development in Asia

6. Conclusions

1. Livestock in a changing world Drivers of change from within and beyond

the livestock sector

Challenges forcing change in production systems and markets

Hence research needs also changing

Livestock in a changing world Drivers of change

Growing demand for livestock products due to population, economic growth and urbanization

Demand in Asia for milk, meat, eggs, and animal feeds e.g milk consumption in Asia/Pacific doubled since 1980

Changes in way food sourced, processed & sold

- Processed/packaged food eg 30% food sold in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand

- Supermarket revolution growing in India

Livestock in a changing world= Opportunities and threats

Opportunities

- growing domestic markets

- trade liberalization opening new markets

Threats

– small scale producers squeezed out of supply chain

- endemic and (re) emerging diseases threaten access new and existing markets

Opportunities and threats (2)

Production systems changing

- “Industrial systems” for pig and poultry in Asia

- But, most livestock in Asia produced in mixed crop/livestock systems

- Competition of biomass for food, feed, biofuels

- Pressure to intensify crop/livestock systems for higher outputs per unit

land/water/labour

Future of livestock systems Uncertainty and instability will increase:

Climate change – erratic rainfall, droughts, floods

Volatility in prices (links to world food/feed prices)

New diseases or remerging existing diseases

Increasing environmental concerns

2. Livestock and the poor 600 m poor people rely on livestock for

livelihoods

Half of these 600m livestock keepers live in Asia

Also, many millions off-farm jobs created along the supply chain (trading, processing, retailing)

Between 4-17 off-farm jobs created for every 100 litres milk collected, processed, sold each day.

Livestock and the poor (2)

Livestock’s critical role in nutrition

Milk is important source protein and calcium in India, for largely vegetarian population

Milk and /or meat important for school children to improve learning ability

Livestock and the poor (3) - research for poverty reduction

Public research – multiple purposes

- e.g increase production and productivity; food security; economic growth; secure

export markets; reduce environmental impact

Private research for new products and services

Livestock research for poor people – special attributes for vulnerable, risk adverse families with small asserts base

3. New approaches for livestock research

New approaches for livestock research

Innovation systems approach essential if research to lead to action and impact

Research only one but critical part of livestock and market development

Need non linear approach to research, involving multiple stakeholders from outset

Requires mindset change by researchers and new “soft” skills to develop new partnerships

New partnerships address new problems to deliver research outcomes to lead to development impact

New approaches for livestock research

Value chain approach also essential

Future research needs to address all points along the value chain, not only production

Includes research on input supplies and services, production and product marketing

Examples of lack of success in technology adoption due to failure address all elements in value chain

E.g failure of innovation in fodder supply and use in Asia and Africa

4. Research challenges . Research challenges

1. Intensify crop/livestock systems

2. Livestock based adaptation to climate change

3. Control emerging and zoonotic diseases

4. Improve food safety and market access

5. Conserve tropical livestock breeds and genetic resources

5. Dairy development in Asia Challenge is to increase milk production in Asia over

next 10-20 years

Milk consumption increased from 102 million tones in 1986 to 260 million tonnes in 2007

Net imports milk into Asia grew from 9 to 19 mt from 1986 to 2007;

Milk imports predicted grow 30% in next 10 years

New CFC, FAO, AHPCA program aims boost smallholder dairy production in Asia 20% in next 10 years

Dairy development in Asia Research needs

1. Feed availability

2. Genetics, breeding and animal genetic resources

3. Dairy development systems

4. Animal diseases

5. Environmental impact

Dairy development in Asia Research needs - Feed availability

Feed is key constraint as limited land in mixed crop/livestock systems; need to intensify systems

1. Focus on dual purpose food/ feed crops

2. Select for nutritive value crop residues as well as grain yield

3. Optimize use of locally grown feed and forages

4. Strategic use of cost effective nutrient supplements

Dairy development in Asia Research needs – Genetics

1. Upgrading local breeds by cross breeding for higher producing animals -Successful in favourable conditions (good feed, climate, no disease), but failures elsewhere

2. Better use indigenous animal genetic resources

1.-Losing breeds with valuable genetic material

2.-Characterise breeds with useful traits

3. Assess species for milk production (buffalo, goats in S.E. Asia)

Dairy development in AsiaResearch needs –

Dairy development systems 1. Improve efficiency of traditional small holder

dairying sector

2. Innovative approaches to improve support services for smallholders (working civil society and private sector)

3. Develop risk-based approaches to food safety, rather than rule based

4. Develop risk based food safety regulatory systems with training

Dairy development in Asia Research needs – Animal diseases

1. Reduce direct losses by developing better disease

control practices (e.g India, 10% livestock output by value lost to diseases)

2. Research on zoonotic and other diseases that limit market access, threaten human health

- Develop cost effective disease surveillance, monitoring and control methods

- Integrate international, national, provincial and local efforts(eg bird flu)

Environmental impact of livestock production

Distribution of global methane production – 2005 All sources

Africa

China/CPA

Latin America

Middle East

Non-EU Eastern Europe

Non-EU FSU

OECD90 and EU

S and SE Asia

data from EPA 2006

Total = 6405.75 MtCO2 eqSouth and S. E. Asia = 19.6%

South and South East Asia – Sources of methane production 2005

rice cultivation

enteric fermentation

industrial non-agric sources

biomass combustion

stationery and mobile combustion

coal mining

natural gas and oil systems

manure management

other ag. Sources

landfills

waste water

data from EPA 2006Livestock account for 29% of methane emissions

Global methane production from enteric fermentation and poor livestock keepers

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Non-EU Eastern Europe

Middle East

Non-EU FSU

Africa

China/CPA

South and South East Asia

OECD90 and EU

Latin America

methane (Mt CO2 eq)

data from EPA 2006

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Africa

China / CPA

South and South East Asia

Latin America

number of poor livestock keepers (millions)

data from Thornton et al 2002

Environmental impact research

1. Diagnose causes of environmental impact of livestock production in different regions and systems

2. Assess consequences of increased demand for livestock products on greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems in Asia

3. Find ways to intensify livestock production while minimising impact on people, land, water, air

4. Identify alternative livelihoods options for poor livestock keepers in marginal areas

6. Conclusions

1. Changing needs: Livestock sector changing rapidly;

Demand increasing but new problems emerging

(zoonotic diseases, environmental ‘bads’)

2. New science based solutions to emerging

livestock issues required. Evidenced based choices

and trade offs needed.

3. New research and knowledge management

approaches available to develop creative solutions.

New approaches to research and

knowledge management

Science based solutions

to emerging issues

Changing needs In livestock sector

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