Opening Remarks
Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, ILRI Director General and CGIAR Senior Director of Livestock-Based Systems, acknowledged the collaborative effort behind the establishment of the African Animal Breeding Network AABNet and highlighted the two main purposes – to build capacity and to maximize on animal genetic resources in the Global South.
Professor Djikeng extended thanks to various individuals from ILRI, Egerton University, Scotland’s Rural College, and the University of Edinburgh, noting the key role of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) in setting up the platform.
The vision for a network to build capacity in animal breeding in Africa was first mooted at a meeting in Ghana in 2018. The actualization of that vision is described in a 2025 paper in Nature Genetics.
Harnessing the potential of livestock diversity
Professor Mizeck Chagunda, Director of CTLGH and Chair of Tropical Livestock Genetics at the University of Edinburgh, presented on how AABNet can improve livestock production in Africa by harnessing the potential of livestock diversity on the continent.
He argued that while feeding and nutrition are important, having the right genetics is crucial for the strategic survival of livestock farms.
“The wrong genetics on any farm is costly,” he said, observing that the wrong livestock genetics can lead to inefficiencies such as methane emissions, overuse or misuse of water, and production of nitrous oxide from the production system.
“There is really a responsibility for us to transform the food system, using livestock genetics, in order to make sure that those inefficiencies are taken out of the system.”
Professor Mizeck Chagunda, Director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health
Why AABNet matters
The vision of AABNet is to drive the development and dissemination of livestock improved genetics and broader genetic improvement solutions in Africa.
- Demand for livestock-derived food in Africa is projected to increase by 80% between 2010 and 2030.
- Animal breeding by importing genes makes the wrong assumption that one breed fits all environments.
- African countries have not fully harnessed the power of crossbreeding.
- There are very few established breeding programs on the continent because of the high level of investment and volume of records needed.
AABNet can play tangible roles in multi-country genetic evaluations; professional development; advocacy, awareness, and business development; and collaboration, networking, and partnerships.
“Genetics, data, smart technologies, and collaboration are the roots for resilient and transformative African livestock production systems. AABNet is the thread that ties all this together.”
Professor Mizeck Chagunda, Director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health
The vision for Animal Breeding in Africa
Livestock development in Africa remains a key driver of socio-economic transformation and resilience in farming communities for Africa. This development is vital for the continent to meet sustainable development goals and to address other global challenges of our time.
The AABNet Symposia series provides the opportunity to engage in a frank, informal and interactive dialogue on issues relating to the future of Animal Breeding in the realm of capacity building, capacity development and research for effective livestock development in Africa.
View this side event session, moderated by Chinyere Ekine-Dzivenu, a statistical geneticist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).