CGIAR Initiative: Sustainable Animal Productivity for Livelihoods, Nutrition and Gender Inclusion <p>ransformation to a more sustainable and equitable livestock sector in Africa and Asia can secure and enhance the critical role livestock plays to support and improve livelihoods.&nbsp;Livestock is a fast growing, high value agriculture subsector, accounting for 15-80% of&nbsp;agricultural GDP in&nbsp;low and middle-income countries. In Africa and Asia, demand for livestock products is expected to&nbsp;grow 200-300% by 2030 depending on the region and commodity. This provides an opportunity for hundreds of millions of&nbsp;small- to medium-scale livestock&nbsp;producers&nbsp;who can meet the demand&nbsp;and provide nutrient dense foods for their families, countries, and regions.<span style="background-color: inherit;">i</span>&nbsp;The African Development Bank echoes other development leaders<span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193); background-color: inherit;">ii</span><a href="about:blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: inherit;">﷟HYPERLINK "file:///C:\Users\KMarshall\OneDrive%20-%20CGIAR\Documents\2021%20Various\CGIAR%20Initiative%20on%20'Sustainably%20improving%20livestock%20productivity%20for%20improved%20livelihoods\Proposal%20on%20new%20template\SAPLING%20proposal%20Working%20Doc%20Sept%2028%20submission%20cleaned%20version%20%20KM%202.59%20pm.docx#a"</a>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">iii</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">iv</span>&nbsp;in highlighting now as the time to “reposition livestock as a business activity with the potential to significantly improve food and nutrition security and drive inclusive [economic] growth.…”&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">v</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Failing to capitalize on this opportunity and meet demand could lead to a shortfall in livestock-derived foods (LDFs),&nbsp;which are a unique source of high-quality proteins and bioavailable essential&nbsp;micronutrients. Relatively small amounts of LDFs can substantially increase the nutrient adequacy of diets.<span style="background-color: inherit;">vi</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">vii</span>&nbsp;But malnutrition remains high in livestock dependent communities.<span style="background-color: inherit;">viii</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This is in part because productivity is low; annual milk yield of a cow in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is 6% and 12%, respectively, of a cow in an OECD country. Within production system yield gaps are high for all species.<span style="background-color: inherit;">ix</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;In Ethiopia, for example, there is a 20% yield gap for sheep from genetics alone.<span style="background-color: inherit;">x</span>&nbsp;Widespread constraints to achieving sustainable productivity&nbsp;include:&nbsp;non-optimal use of livestock genetic potential; lack of optimal adaptive and productive livestock genetics; lack of resilient, resource efficient feeds and forages available year-round in sufficient quantity and quality; poor animal health management and husbandry; and a combination of insufficient and underutilized animal health technologies.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xi</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xii</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xiii</span>&nbsp;These combine to increase pressure on natural resources and GHG emissions intensities.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xiv</span>&nbsp;At the same time, value chain governance structures prevent producers from fully benefiting from markets, investing in sustainable productivity and commercializing their farms.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xv</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Failure to address constraints to livestock productivity and the growing risks from climate change<span style="background-color: inherit;">xvi</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xvii</span><span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">&nbsp;</span>and other shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic<span style="background-color: inherit;">xviii</span>&nbsp;can limit productivity gains while putting sustainability at risk. Increasing yields can contribute to lowering emissions intensities while enhancing livelihoods.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xix</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xx</span>&nbsp;But research is needed to better understand trade-offs between productivity, environmental&nbsp;impacts&nbsp;and livelihood outcomes.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxi</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxii</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Women, who often look after livestock, have limited control over resources and decisions.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxiii</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxiv</span>&nbsp;Youth, who supplement household&nbsp;labor&nbsp;are marginalized from income-generation opportunities and assets.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxv</span> Research is needed to identify livestock development solutions that achieve equitable access and benefits.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Advances&nbsp;in improved forages, animal breeding, herd health, and markets have demonstrated sustainable gains in on-farm productivity<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxvi</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxvii</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxviii</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxix</span>&nbsp;but need to reach impact at scale.&nbsp;Bundling combinations of new and scale-ready technical innovations with the right institutional arrangements and policy support has the potential to increase sustainable productivity.<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxx</span>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: inherit;">xxxi</span>&nbsp;But deep and early engagement with stakeholders in iterative co-design approaches is needed to increase impact and accelerate scaling. SAPLING will engage stakeholders to generate&nbsp;evidence on innovation packages that&nbsp;support livestock producers, including women and youth, to transition to sustainable, resilient livelihoods and productive enterprises.&nbsp;This is expected&nbsp;to catalyse investment by public and private sectors and enable a supportive policy environment, enhancing scale potential.<span style="background-color: rgb(225, 227, 230);">30</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>