ILRI launches Livestock Futures at Borlaug Dialogue

The International Livestock Research Institute unveiled Livestock Futures at the 2026 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines to help low- and middle-income countries use livestock systems for sustainable development. The multi-year series will target evidence gaps, coordinate experts and shape solutions on food security, livelihoods, climate and health through 2030.

Why it matters: - Livestock systems already support livelihoods for 1.7 billion people worldwide and account for about 40% of agricultural GDP in low- and middle-income countries. - The new initiative is aimed at improving food security, economic security and sustainability across the Global South. - Animal-source foods remain out of reach for almost 2.7 billion people, according to the latest UN data, making livestock policy central to nutrition and development.

What happened: - The International Livestock Research Institute launched Livestock Futures at the 2026 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa. - The Borlaug Dialogue is organized by the World Food Prize Foundation and brought together political, business, academic and advocacy leaders for a three-day hunger-focused event. - Livestock Futures is a multi-year flagship series that will run through 2030. - The initiative was introduced during a livestock “deep dive” session co-organized by ILRI, the University of California, Davis and Iowa State University. - The session marked the first time livestock appeared in the Borlaug Dialogue plenary.

The details: - Livestock Futures will focus on one priority area each year between now and 2030. - The series will convene experts to fill evidence gaps and outline solutions for different livestock production systems. - The four priority areas are livelihoods and food security; climate, natural resources and One Health; climate action and food security; and climate action and livelihoods. - The initiative builds on prior work on genetic improvements to raise productivity, livestock vaccines to reduce disease losses and index-based livestock insurance. - ILRI says the series will connect livestock research with food systems, climate, health, development, investment and related fields. - The goal is to help stakeholders work in a connected ecosystem that supports sustainable livestock systems transformation. - A recent evidence review found four major gaps holding back the sector from supporting sustainable development. - The livestock sector is often missing from research on nutrition, livelihoods, One Health and the environment. - People-focused evidence is lacking. - Climate dimensions are also largely absent and are rarely linked to food security or livelihoods. - Evidence on livestock emissions and climate risks is scarce and often disconnected from other development outcomes. - Many reviews do not clearly distinguish between pastoral, smallholder, intensive or other livestock systems.

Between the lines: - The launch signals a push to move livestock from a narrow production debate into a broader development and climate agenda. - The evidence gaps suggest the sector still lacks a common analytical base for comparing systems and designing policy. - Professor Appollinaire Djikeng said livestock are a foundation for food and nutrition security, livelihoods, resilience and sustainable development for billions of people. - Djikeng also said the Borlaug Dialogue launch places livestock at the center of the global conversation on ending hunger.

What's next: - Consultations on Livestock Futures are already under way. - The first flagship product is expected in 2027. - ILRI and its partners will continue work to refine priorities and produce evidence that can guide livestock transformation across low- and middle-income countries.

The bottom line: - Livestock Futures is designed to turn fragmented evidence into coordinated action, with the goal of making livestock systems more productive, resilient and central to sustainable development.