event

LD4D virtual community meeting 2022

Connect, learn and collaborate with members of the Livestock Data for Decisions community!

This is the annual gathering of the Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D) community. This year's series of online meetings, workshops and conversations will help members connect, learn and collaborate through thematic sessions that address critical topics for livestock development. The meeting is open to existing members and any data producers, data users, advocates, and other  actors who are committed to drive informed livestock decision-making.

Programme

From 26-30 September we hosted a variety of webinars and workshops on livestock data topics, featuring work by the Community.

In parallel to the main event, participants had the opportunity to host and  join informal peer to peer learning sessions on the LD4D Braindate platform.

Plenary sessions

Opening Plenary: Navigating from evidence to engagement in livestock research
Monday 26 September, 11:00-12:15 BST (GMT+1)

Welcome! Join us to discuss the LD4D journey so far, get a preview of events this week, and hear from community leaders on the opportunities, pitfalls and lessons for evidence-based engagement. Confirmed panelists include Shirley Tarawali (ILRI), Anne Mottet (FAO), Bernard Kimoro (Kenya State Department for Livestock), Gareth Salmon (SEBI-Livestock) and Tara Garnett (University of Oxford). We will also demonstrate Braindate, our peer-to-peer learning platform that helps members connect and share with each other.

Workshop: How can data empower environmentally responsible livestock development? 
Monday 26 September, 14:00 - 17:00 BST (GMT+1)

Explore how different groups can support each other with environmental data and evidence for better decisions in the livestock sector. This session will bring together groups that are implementing livestock development projects, data collectors and analysts, environmental modellers and funders. With scene setting from Andrew Bisson (USAID), Hala el Masri (Community Jameel) and Shannon Mesenhowski (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). With presentations from Dominik Wisser and Anne Mottet (FAO), Carlos Gonzales Fischer (Cornell), Claudia Arndt (ILRI), Andreas Wilkes (New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre),  Brian Lindsay (Dairy Sustainability Framework) and Diana Onyango (Farm Africa).

Launch of the Livestock Project Portal
Tuesday 27 September, 14:00 - 15:00 BST (GMT+1)

Who is working on what and where? Discover and help shape the development of the Livestock Project Portal, designed to support more coordinated investments in the livestock sector. Presented by Alap Mehta and Louise Donnison (SEBI-Livestock). 

Decision making in pastoralist systems: Data challenges and solutions
Tuesday 27 September, 15:30 - 16:45 BST (GMT+1)

Through a case study approach, this session will explore the data challenges in supporting decision making in pastoralist systems and highlight  emerging solutions to overcome some of the data gaps. Group participants will be encouraged to join the discussion to further explore the topic under review. With presentations from Michael MacLeod (SRUC), Erwann Fillol and Cherif Assane Diallo (Action Contre la Faim) and Mark Lawrence (Food Economy Group).

Supporting Investments in Animal Health Using Economic Analysis - hosted by the Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme (GBADs)
Wednesday 28 September, 14:00 - 16:00 BST (GMT+1)

The Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme will provide a powerful basis for evidence-based decision-making in animal health, livestock production and the livestock sector in general. It will achieve this through presenting the animal health burden in standardised terms of its economic components: production loss, expenditure, and trade. This session will share progress from the GBADs programme in terms of methods; data needs; information at global, regional, and country level; and education. Join us to learn about collaboration opportunities with the LD4D community.

Livestock data, FAIR and Ontologies: what are the obstacles and solutions?
Thursday 29 September, 14:00 - 15:30 BST (GMT+1)

This session explored why so many of us are finding it so hard to implement standards our livestock data projects. This includes FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) as well as standard terms or ontologies. A good start is to better understand the context in which those standards are being implemented. In this session we heard from Ruthie Musker (CABI), who are developing guidance for implementing FAIR on livestock projects. Participants also explored project archetypes, which may help us understand our differences and similarities, and chart a way forward for collaboration.

Who benefits within livestock value chains? A closer look at measuring gender disaggregated outcomes
Thursday 29 September, 16:00 – 17:30 BST (GMT+1)

Join us to explore how livestock projects can measure beyond “reaching” women. We will look at examples and practical elements of monitoring benefit, and its relationship with common livestock project goals and women’s empowerment. Given the importance of qualitative data to understanding gender dynamics, there will also be an introductory session on collecting qualitative data.  With presentations from Hazel Malapit (IFPRI), Holly Hufnagel (FAO), and Katie Adam (EPIC Scotland). Hosted by the LD4D Gender community. 

Enhancing drought prediction, preparation and response and climate resilience in dry areas: The scope for more and better livestock data - hosted by the Jameel Observatory for Food Security Early Action
Friday 30 September, 14:00 - 15:30 BST (GMT+1)

With an East Africa focus, explore the current status of livestock data (such as livestock body condition, drought related deaths, livestock diseases, milk production, livestock prices etc) and how this can be enhanced to help predict, prepare for and respond to food and climate shocks (such as droughts) in drylands.