Dr. Carlos Seré, senior fellow at ZEF PARI, presented his research on the future of the livestock sector and consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa, titled “Investing Sustainably in African Livestock Development: Opportunities and Tradeoffs.”

Topics covered included the historical development and IMPACT Model projection of the livestock sector in Sub-Saharan Africa until 2030, the drivers of consumption, current and predicted animal and animal product production, and potential scalable innovations that should be further looked at. Dr. Seré also identifies 6 Sub-Saharan countries that have the highest potential in livestock and animal product production: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia. The scalable innovations mentioned included intensive beekeeping, artificial insemination, improved Brachiaria forages, index-based livestock insurance, livestock master plans and asset transfer programs.

Dr. Seré’s report concludes that livestock production should be actively looked at by policymakers and through international scientific cooperation. It is a complex sector that plays many important key roles for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Comments from participants focused on the applicability and scalability of the aforementioned innovations, the impact of intensifying the livestock sector on rangelands and the importance of supporting public health and preventing conflicts. Special attention was paid to the Ethiopian livestock sector by commentators, which could be served well by beekeeping innovations.