Finding common ground: building shared solutions for livestock feed data
Report back from LD4D Solutions Group January Workshop
In January, members of the LD4D Livestock Feed Baskets Solutions Group met in Edinburgh to continue their work addressing practical challenges around livestock feed data. The focus was on improving how we collect, share, and use information about what animals eat—data that's essential for calculating greenhouse gas emissions and supporting livestock productivity improvements.
Why Feed Data Matters
Understanding what livestock consume provides the foundation for measuring methane emissions and identifying opportunities to improve production systems. The challenge is particularly significant in low- and middle-income countries, where reliable and accessible feed basket data is often lacking. This creates barriers for researchers trying to estimate emissions, policymakers developing interventions, and farmers seeking to optimize their practices.
Building on Previous Work
This Solutions Group builds on scoping work undertaken in 2024 with LD4D members and Cornell University's Food Systems and Global Change programme. Through a landscaping analysis and consultation process conducted in May 2024, key stakeholders were mapped as the first step towards understanding data needs and gaps.
In 2025, the Solutions Group consulted with a wide array of LD4D members, who provided valuable input to shape the group's focus. These diverse experts were drawn from across the feed basket data landscape. The January workshop invited a smaller subset of members to work together on specific outputs, which will be finalized mid-2026.
Bringing Diverse Expertise Together
Twenty experts from across the livestock data landscape participated in the workshop, representing universities (Wageningen, UC Davis, University of Edinburgh), the World Bank, CGIAR, FAO, private sector organisations, scaling groups, and information and data management specialists. This diversity of perspectives—including field data collection, data analysis and technical system designers —was essential to addressing challenges that no single organisation can solve alone.
Participants spent three days working on practical solutions aimed to strengthen feed data and data systems. The collaborative format enabled the group to tackle interconnected challenges in a coordinated way, building on each organisation's ongoing work.
Four Key Outputs in Development
The workshop participants set to work on creating four interconnected outputs:
A Resource Pack and Guidance serving as an entry point for working with feed basket data, including practical guidance on best practices for data collection to ensure information is gathered consistently and effectively.
A Registry of Feed Basket Data Sources to make existing datasets findable and accessible, addressing the common problem of not knowing what data exists or where to locate it.
A Data Sharing Framework and Supporting Governance Structures based on FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). This establishes clear approaches for improving data quality, transparency, and usability while providing governance for responsible data sharing.
A Shared Schema to enable interoperability across different systems and datasets, harmonizing how feed basket data is collected, searched, and processed so information from multiple sources can be combined for broader analysis.
Together, these outputs form a connected system addressing the full lifecycle of feed data—from collection and discovery through sharing and analysis.
Workshop Success
Participants provided positive feedback on the week's work, reporting high satisfaction, and particular appreciation for the workshop facilitation and group work sessions. This feedback reflects both the quality of the collaborative process and the tangible progress made on developing these practical tools and frameworks.
Next Steps
The group will continue to develop these outputs and share these with the wider community by mid-2026. Once available, these resources and tools should help advance coordinated efforts to resolve persistent challenges around livestock feed data, particularly in regions where good data has been difficult to access or use effectively.
Thanks to Our Participants
The progress made in Edinburgh reflects the contributions and expertise of the following LD4D members:
| Franco Bilotto | Cornell University |
| Andrew Bisson | Spark Climate Solutions |
| Rebecca Chamberlin | Independent |
| Jennifer Daub | The University of Edinburgh |
| Ram Dhulipala | FAO |
| Alan Duncan | University of Edinburgh |
| Mohammad Farrae | AIM for Scale |
| Fabio Fidanza | Fabio Fidanza Studio |
| Mario Herrero | Cornell University |
| Sophie Jenkinson | SEBI Livestock, University of Edinburgh |
| Maureen Kamusiime | Mercy Corps |
| Annie Kilroy | Development Gateway: An IREX Venture |
| Michael Macleod | Scotland's Rural College |
| Ana Miranda | SEBI Livestock, University of Edinburgh |
| Merel Moleman | The World Bank and Wageningen University & Research |
| Lolita Muller | Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT |
| Asaah Ndambi | Wageningen University & Research |
| An Notenbaert | Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT |
| Gareth Salmon | SEBI Livestock, University of Edinburgh |
| Peter Steward | Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT |
| Giuseppe Tempio | The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
| Shimels Wassie | University of California, Davis |
| Dominik Wisser | The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
Their willingness to collaborate, share knowledge, and work toward common goals made this productive workshop possible. As the Livestock Feed Baskets Solutions Group continues its work, these foundations will support ongoing efforts to improve livestock feed data systems worldwide.
