Livestock farmers are under threat; enter the 'super cow' scientist

Livestock rearing is a system that supports millions of families in the global south with food and income, but farmers say it is under siege. On one front, climate change is exerting pressure on livestock systems, with extreme weather such as prolonged droughts and floods leading to less fodder and the spread of new diseases, as heat stress reduces the farm animals’ productivity. On the other, the sector contributes up to 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions per year, and a growing number of pressure groups are pushing for the elimination of livestock products from the free market space. Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, the newly appointed director general at the International Livestock Research Institute, and senior director of livestock-based systems at CGIAR, the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network, is determined to transform the sector with science and synergy. “We are looking at a range of innovations that will transform livestock systems to improve animal health, feed, and nutrition, resilience to climate change, as well as policy interventions,” Djikeng, who is the first African to hold this position, said. Djikeng will be joining ILRI and CGIAR from the University of Edinburgh, where he currently serves as the chair of Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development, as well as the director at the Center for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, based at the Roslin Institute. He will retain his affiliation with both institutes to strengthen their partnership with ILRI and the CGIAR system. When he takes office in March this year, genome editing will be part of the toolbox of innovations that he plans to bring to the table, to respond to climate change. In 2021, he was part of a research team developing a “super cow” through gene editing. According to him, genome editing of certain breeds boosts the animal’s resilience to diseases and heat stress. While the technology cannot be used to resolve all the challenges that smallholder farmers face, it can support better feed and nutrition for struggling herds, and is part of his vision when he takes over the reins of the organizations, he said. “We will also be sensitive to issues related to gender and youth, to see how they can be empowered and be part of the innovations and technologies that we will be developing,” Djikeng said, adding that he will provide leadership by working with partners within countries and regions. Djikeng’s passion for agriculture and livestock systems developed while he was growing up in Cameroon. Coming from a community that keeps livestock as part of the local food system opened his eyes to envision what he could do to impact and improve the livelihoods of his people and other struggling smallholder farmers. Armed with this personal interest, association with livestock, and the thirst for scientific knowledge, he crossed continents and found himself living his dream at the helm of the academic community. But his aha moment came in 2009 while he was practicing as an established scientist in the United States, where he busied himself doing research and getting his work published in peer-reviewed journals. “I decided doing good peer-reviewed work was not enough. I wanted to see the impact of my work in a completely different line. I wanted this relevance to reflect on people I could train and mentor in the global south,” Djikeng said. This is when he decided to work within an African-based organization. During last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference — also hyped as the African COP — a session organized by ILRI and CGIAR revealed that heat stress and climate variability will cost the global economy an estimated $55 billion in losses annually, due to a decline in livestock productivity. According to ILRI climate policy scientist, Laura Cramer, the worst hit will be livestock producers in Africa and Asia, due to their dependency on livestock for income, nutrition, and farming their lands. But such effects can be softened by investing in research and climate adaptation solutions urgently, she said. Djikeng said Africa is well positioned to tap into such investments. He added that he will make sure this happens by working with institutions that are committed to African agriculture transformation such as the Africa Development Bank, the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa, and the AGRA, among others. “We are looking at a range of innovations that will transform livestock systems to improve animal health, feed, and nutrition, resilience to climate change, as well as policy interventions.” --— Appolinaire Djikeng, director general, International Livestock Research Institute, and senior director of livestock-based systems, CGIAR According to him, these institutions have structures and strategies that ensure technologies generated by ILRI, CGIAR, and other research institutions are optimized adopted, and delivered within countries. “We will continue to do that by regularly consulting with these organizations so that we can scope for opportunities and ensure collective innovations are immediately utilized for agriculture transformation within countries,” he said. When he is not working, Djikeng likes to take care of his family, hang out with his friends, and participate in charities. He is especially keen on associating with charities that empower the less fortunate by providing health care and education opportunities. “I also like learning new cultures, understanding, and relating them to where I come from,” he said. Djikeng said he would like smallholder farmers to think of him as a scientist who is always keen to make sure that the science that feeds us is relevant to people who are in rural communities in Africa. He would also like to be seen as a scientist who creates opportunities based on the realities facing smallholder farmers in the global south. “I was born in Cameroon, but I have been very fortunate to live and work extensively in different parts of Africa, Europe, North America, and Australia. I see myself as a global citizen, and I am very fortunate to be connected to people all over the world,” he said.