The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change

Climate change will have severe impacts in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. Despite the importance of livestock to poor people and the magnitude of the changes that are likely to befall livestock systems, the intersection of climate change and livestock is a relatively neglected research ar...

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Autores principales: Thornton, Philip K., Steeg, Jeannette van de, Notenbaert, An Maria Omer, Herrero, Mario
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Livestock Research Institute 2008
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/302
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author Thornton, Philip K.
Steeg, Jeannette van de
Notenbaert, An Maria Omer
Herrero, Mario
author_browse Herrero, Mario
Notenbaert, An Maria Omer
Steeg, Jeannette van de
Thornton, Philip K.
author_facet Thornton, Philip K.
Steeg, Jeannette van de
Notenbaert, An Maria Omer
Herrero, Mario
author_sort Thornton, Philip K.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Climate change will have severe impacts in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. Despite the importance of livestock to poor people and the magnitude of the changes that are likely to befall livestock systems, the intersection of climate change and livestock is a relatively neglected research area. Little is known about the interactions of climate and increasing climate variability with other drivers of change in livestock systems and in broader development trends. Evidence is being assembled that the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of household responses may be very large. While opportunities may exist for some households to take advantage of more conducive rangeland and cropping conditions, for example, the changes projected will pose very serious problems for many other households. Furthermore, ruminant livestock themselves have important impacts on climate, through the emission of methane and through the land-use change that may be brought about by livestock keepers. Given that climate change is now being seen as a key development challenge, and that a very large global community is already working on climate-change-related issues, the CGIAR in general, and ILRI in particular, need to consider carefully how the research agenda might be adjusted to respond. While the global environmental change community is very large, ILRI as a small institute can still contribute effectively to the climate change / development debate by focusing on a few key niches, through alliances with carefully chosen collaborators. This discussion paper is an attempt to assemble and summarise relevant information concerning climate change, livestock and development, and to identify what these key niches might be. The report briefly summarises what is known about climate change and its effects on agroecosystems, and summarises the current limits to prediction. It reviews the literature on climate change impacts on livestock and livestock impacts on climate, and thus sets out to answer the question, what do we know? Knowledge and data gaps are then identified, and a synthesis presented in relation to our clients and stakeholders and to alternative providers of knowledge and information. The paper ends by looking at the questions, what do we not know, and what should we do about it, with a discussion of recommendations for ILRI activities in the area, and the strategic alliances needed, some of which already exist.
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spelling CGSpace3022025-11-04T20:26:27Z The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change Thornton, Philip K. Steeg, Jeannette van de Notenbaert, An Maria Omer Herrero, Mario climate change poverty Climate change will have severe impacts in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. Despite the importance of livestock to poor people and the magnitude of the changes that are likely to befall livestock systems, the intersection of climate change and livestock is a relatively neglected research area. Little is known about the interactions of climate and increasing climate variability with other drivers of change in livestock systems and in broader development trends. Evidence is being assembled that the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of household responses may be very large. While opportunities may exist for some households to take advantage of more conducive rangeland and cropping conditions, for example, the changes projected will pose very serious problems for many other households. Furthermore, ruminant livestock themselves have important impacts on climate, through the emission of methane and through the land-use change that may be brought about by livestock keepers. Given that climate change is now being seen as a key development challenge, and that a very large global community is already working on climate-change-related issues, the CGIAR in general, and ILRI in particular, need to consider carefully how the research agenda might be adjusted to respond. While the global environmental change community is very large, ILRI as a small institute can still contribute effectively to the climate change / development debate by focusing on a few key niches, through alliances with carefully chosen collaborators. This discussion paper is an attempt to assemble and summarise relevant information concerning climate change, livestock and development, and to identify what these key niches might be. The report briefly summarises what is known about climate change and its effects on agroecosystems, and summarises the current limits to prediction. It reviews the literature on climate change impacts on livestock and livestock impacts on climate, and thus sets out to answer the question, what do we know? Knowledge and data gaps are then identified, and a synthesis presented in relation to our clients and stakeholders and to alternative providers of knowledge and information. The paper ends by looking at the questions, what do we not know, and what should we do about it, with a discussion of recommendations for ILRI activities in the area, and the strategic alliances needed, some of which already exist. 2008-05-15 2009-12-30T07:55:05Z 2009-12-30T07:55:05Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/302 en application/pdf International Livestock Research Institute Thornton, P. K.; Steeg, J. van de; Notenbaert, A.; Herrero, M. 2008. The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: a discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change. ILRI Discussion Paper 11. Nairobi (Kenya): ILRI.
spellingShingle climate change
poverty
Thornton, Philip K.
Steeg, Jeannette van de
Notenbaert, An Maria Omer
Herrero, Mario
The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change
title The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change
title_full The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change
title_fullStr The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change
title_full_unstemmed The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change
title_short The livestock-climate-poverty nexus: A discussion paper on ILRI research in relation to climate change
title_sort livestock climate poverty nexus a discussion paper on ilri research in relation to climate change
topic climate change
poverty
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/302
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