On Wednesday 1 Oct 2014, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) will host a high-profile conference in Nairobi on livestock-based options for sustainable development.

In 2014, to mark 40 years of its international research, ILRI is facilitating a series of events that highlight the ways in which livestock research advances the global development agenda, specifically for sustainable food and nutritional security, economic well-being and healthy lives.

Among the expected participants at the conference, at ILRI in Nairobi, are global, regional and local actors in sustainable livestock development, including farmers, the public and private sectors and research and development agencies.

The highlight of the event will be a keynote address by Modibo Traoré, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization sub-regional coordinator for eastern Africa and representative to Ethiopia, the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The keynote address will seek to answer the question: Why invest in livestock-based options for livelihoods, healthy lives and a sustainable environment?

At the conference, Ed Rege of PICO-Eastern Africa will facilitate a panel discussion to provide opportunities for regional and local actors, industry players and key partners in the livestock sector to look ahead to the next 40 years and identify the most critical livestock issues to invest in for better lives through livestock.

The members of the panel are:

• Bright Rwamirama, Honourable State Minister for Animal Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Republic of Uganda;
• Fina Opio, Executive Director, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA);
• Kipkirui arap Lang’at, Chairperson, Eastern and Southern Africa Dairy Association and Kenya Dairy Processors’ Association;
• Joseph Kipkoech, Senior Advisor, Vocational Skills Development, SNV Kenya; and
• Ibrahim Idi-Issa, Deputy Executive Secretary, Comité permanent Inter-Etat de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS).

The event will be streamed live from 0900 hours (GMT+3) on 1 October 2014.

All ILRI alumni, partners, donors and other stakeholders are invited to a reception and ‘alumni gathering’ on the same day from 1630-2000 hours at the ILRI campus in Nairobi. Come meet your old colleagues and friends. Register with ILRI’s Angeline Nekesa (a.nekesa[at]cgiar.org) or Dorine Odongo (D.A.Odongo[at]cgiar.org) before 1 Oct.

Visit ilri.org/40 to find out about the other ILRI@40 events.

Follow #ilri40 on Twitter.

View photos from the conference.

This article was written by Tezira Lore, a communications specialist at ILRI.