
Future Livestock Systems research explores the transition from more vulnerable livestock systems, which struggle to address increased demands for food, to systems that foster equitable wealth, food security, and nutrition. Its modeling and analytical tools are useful to evaluate technologies and inform management and policy scenarios into the future. With information based on analysis of complex local to regional choices, policymakers and other stakeholders can seek solutions to meet the needs of dynamic populations and environmental conditions.
USAID defines resilience as “the ability of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth.” One way to promote resilience is through research that anticipates future shocks and stresses. By considering these two strands jointly, we seek to promote their integration across our research portfolio.
Research from our Phase I work, including scenario analysis, systems modeling tools at the household, value-chain, trade network, and landscape level, and livestock trade network analyses will be expanded to address the following areas:
Recorded Guide Resources
These four videos provide basic background on how modeling and scenarios can be used in livestock systems research.
Beal Cohen, A.A., Muneepeerakul, R. and Kiker, G. September 2021. Intra-group decision-making in agent-based models. Nature: Scientific Reports, 11(1), pp.1-11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96661-5
Senda, T. & Kiker, G. March 2020. Modeling Climate Change Impacts on Rangeland Productivity and Livestock Population Dynamics in Nkayi District, Zimbabwe (pp.2330). Applied Sciences, 10(7), Basel, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10072330
Valerio, V.C., Walther, O.J., Eilittä, M., Cissé, B., Muneepeerakul, R. et al. May 2020. Network analysis of regional livestock trade in West Africa. PLOS ONE 15(5): e0232681. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232681
Aboah, J., Enahoro, D., Dizyee, K., Ajeigbe, H., Shalander, K. and Rich. K.M. 2021. System dynamics modelling of the cattle value chain in Nigeria. ILRI discussion paper 43. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.
Research Note. Valerio, V.C. 2020. The Structure of Livestock Trade in West Africa. West African Papers, No. 29, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/f8c71341-en
Working Paper. Ashley L. 2020. Climate and livestock policy coherence analysis in Burkina Faso, Niger, Rwanda, Nepal and Cambodia. CCAFS Working Paper no. 311. Wageningen, the Netherlands: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
The Future Livestock Systems & Resilience team is led by Dr. Gregory Kiker.
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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