
The Feed Study is part of the project EQUIP – Strengthening smallholder livestock systems for the future, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Principal Investigator (PI) and Lead Institution
Dr. Adegbola Adesogan, University of Florida
Coordinator
Dr. Mulubrhan Balehegn Gebremikael, University of Florida
Collaborator Institutions and Co-PIs
Read 11 articles in this special issue of Agronomy Journal. Briefly, they are:
Balehegn, M., Duncan, A., Tolera, A., Ayantunde, A.A., Issa, S., Karimou, M., Zampaligré, N., André, K., Gnanda, I., Varijakshapanicker, P., Kebreab, E., Dubeux, J., Boote, K., Minta, M., Feyissa, F., and Adesogan, A.T. June 2020. Improving adoption of technologies and interventions for increasing supply of quality livestock feed in low- and middle-income countries. Global Food Security, Volume 26, 100372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100372
Summary
The quantity and quality of livestock feed remains one of the most critical challenges to smallholder livestock farmers. Feed typically accounts for 50 to 80 percent of the total livestock production cost. Limited quality and quantity of feed hinders smallholder livestock producers by reducing the productivity of their livestock, as well as decreasing the economic benefits of livestock production. Although genetic, management, and health interventions all have the potential to increase livestock productivity, the benefits of these interventions are reduced, and are ultimately unsustainable, without quality and affordable animal feed.
The Feed Study focuses on improving the quality and quantity of animal feed, specifically for dairy cows in Ethiopia and for sheep and goats in Burkina Faso. These species of livestock are particularly important for poor livestock producers, and improving the productivity and profitability of these species is a priority for governments of the respective countries in order to reduce poverty, improve nutrition and promote resilience. Moreover, this work will also be applicable to other livestock species and have significant spillover impacts to other countries.
In recognition of the diverse challenges to improving animal feed quality and quantity, the Feed Study will work in five focal areas (click link for a leaflet):
The Feed Study began in 2018 and plans to conclude its research in 2022.
More Information
October 2020 research update FEED VGM (Virtual General Meeting)
This study is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the EQUIP project.
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems (click for Home page) is part of Feed the Future
Subscribe to our Newsletter / Email: livestock-lab@ufl.edu
This work was funded in whole or part by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Food Security under Agreement # AID-OAA-L-15-00003 as part of Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems. Additional funding was received from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed here are those of the authors alone.
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