The document discusses the need for smart investments in Africa's livestock potential. It argues that Africa's livestock sector will be worth $150 billion by 2050 but is currently underinvested, receiving just 0.1% of total overseas development assistance. It calls for investing in African women, who currently have limited access to credit and land; political engagement to prioritize livestock; science to deliver development outcomes; evidence-based research on topics like greenhouse gas emissions and livestock-derived nutrition; young people, who view livestock as a business opportunity; Africa's diverse livestock systems; and the continent's livestock genetic resources.

1. Smart investments in
Africa’s livestock potential
Jimmy Smith, Director General, International Livestock Research Institute
7th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture:
Innovations to Harness the Potential of African Animal Agriculture in a Globalizing World
29 July–2 August 2019, Accra, Ghana

2. Without livestock:
How many of you would
have gone to school?
Would be married?
Would have your career?
RodWaddington

3. AACAA
At this meeting:
400+? participants
At the 6th AACAA:
474 participants
101 oral presentations
23 posters
5 facilitated panels
ILRI/ZerihunSewunet

4. Big opportunities
Africa’s total food import bill in 2016
was USD 55 billion
Imports for milk, meat and eggs in 2016 were
USD 8 billion (11% of all food imports), rising to USD 43
billion (21% of all food imports) in 2050
Africa’s livestock sector will be worth
USD 150 billion in 2050
Livestock contribute on average
40% of agricultural GDP
Over 70% livestock production from farms <20ha
About 250 million people directly engaged in livestock
production
55% of sub-Saharan Africa’s workforce is employed in
agriculture
CIFOR/AxelFassio

5. If we’re so smart,
why aren’t we rich?
In 2017 of USD 182.5 billion disbursed from
all donors to developing countries,
USD 7.2 billion went for agriculture (4%),
of which USD 195 million went for livestock,
which is just 0.1% of total ODA and
2.7% of agricultural ODA
This is huge under-investment
is an under-investment
in two of Africa’s greatest assets:
African livestock
and
African women
ILRI/StevieMann

6. smart investment
INVEST IN
AFRICAN WOMEN
The future of Africa
is in their hands
Hand them the resources to fulfil
on their promise
Only 23% of African’s women have access to
credit, and 15% access to land
Sub-Saharan Africa lost $2.5 trillion (11% of
total wealth) in 2014 because of gender
inequality
Current estimates: in Africa by 2030 as many
as 140 million jobs for women in livestock
ILRI/StevieMann

7. smart investment
INVEST IN POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
• Position livestock
higher up the political agenda
- CAADP
- Ministers of health, finance,
environment—in and beyond Africa
• Address regional trade opportunities
(markets, trans-boundary diseases, etc.)
• Identify country-by-country public and
private sector livestock investment
priorities
ILRI/StevieMann

8. smart investment
INVEST IN SCIENCE
THAT DELIVERS
ON DEVELOPMENT
• Start with
‘the end in mind’
• Connect the
many actors
ILRI/ZerihunSewunet

9. smart investment
INVEST IN EVIDENCE-BASED FACTS
• About GHG emissions
- Use real African numbers (data from Kenya
now included as part of IPCC tier 2 for the
first time; emission factors up to 40% less
than IPCC tier 1 for adult cattle)
- Use life-cycle assessments
- Distinguish GHG diversity
and impacts on climate change
• About ways to mitigate GHGs
- Via rangeland sequestration
- Via production efficiencies
• About livestock-derived nutrition:
- Essential for the most vulnerable
- Reduces stunting, enhances cognitive
development
ILRI/ZerihunSewunet

10. smart investment
INVEST IN YOUNG PEOPLE
In 2018 over 40% of Africa’s 1.2
billion people were under 14
years old
Livestock offer real business
opportunities:
• Require little capital for start up
• Are of high value
• Give fast return on investment
• Apply mobile and other
technologies
ILRI/ApolloHabtamu

11. smart investment
INVEST IN THE DIVERSITY
of Africa’s livestock systems
• From mixed crop-and-livestock farms to
pastoral herding
• Well managed pastoral systems mitigate
conflicts, improve livelihoods, steward
rangelands, and provide milk and meat to
nourish Africa’s growing populations (a quarter
of Africa’s milk and a fifth of Africa’s ruminant
meat come from grass-based systems today)
of Africa’s food-producing animals
• Conserve Africa’s livestock genetic wealth
• Better use Africa’s native livestock
ILRI/ILBIKenya

12. smart investment
INVEST IN OURSELVES:
‘The opportunity,
dear audience,
is not in our stars,
but in ourselves.’
INVEST IN AFRICA’S
TWO BIGGEST ASSETS:
Africa’s women
Africa’s livestock
ILRI/StevieMann

13. This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
better lives through livestock
ilri.org
ILRI thanks all donors and organizations who globally supported its work through their contributions to the CGIAR system