LD4D Photo Contest Winners Announced: Celebrating Stories of Innovation, Resilience, and Community
Powerful images showcase the human dimension of livestock systems across Africa and beyond
We are thrilled to announce the winners and runners-up of the LD4D Photo Competition, which were announced at the recent LD4D Annual Meeting 2025. The contest invited our community to capture the transformative role of data, innovation, and collaboration in livestock systems. The response was extraordinary, with submissions that beautifully illustrated the intersection of tradition and technology, community leadership, and climate resilience.
And the Winners are...
Category Winners & Runners-Up
🏆 Digital Livestock
Winner: A Cow with a Ranch ID Ear Tag by Chidike Ude, Megacorp Nigeria Limited
This powerful image highlights how ear tags support Nigeria's livestock modernization by improving traceability, disease control, and market access—helping farmers earn more, protect public health, and build resilience in rural communities.
Runner-Up: Building Data Power in the Drylands by Meshack Baraza Obonyo, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Showcasing real community involvement, particularly women being trained to use digital tools like KAZNET to improve livestock markets in Kenya and Ethiopia, this image underscores that sustainable digital transformation must be rooted in grassroots engagement.
🏆 Climate-Smart Livestock
Winner: Climate Challenge by Habiba Muhammad, Halee Agribusiness
A female veterinarian leading climate-resilient efforts in pastoralist regions—this image powerfully captures resilience, care, and gender-responsive climate action against the backdrop of bare grazing land, reminding us of urgent adaptation needs.
Runner-Up: From Bush to Feed by Monika Fraczek, Omeva Consulting
This practical, sustainable solution transforms invasive bushes into livestock feed, reflecting local ingenuity and climate-smart adaptation in resource-scarce environments.
🏆 Gender & Farming
Winner: Cow Examination and Restraints - Physical Examination by Hauwa'u Mohammed Bauchi, CAHWS
An empowering visual of a woman veterinarian conducting a physical examination, reflecting growing gender equity in veterinary science and women's leadership in animal health.
Runner-Up: A Woman Feeding Her Goat in an Intensive Production System by Terese Akpem, Vet Konect Ltd
Showing women's active roles in animal health care and production, this image highlights gender inclusivity in community livestock health.
🏆 Your Local Livestock Beauty
Winner: Through the Hyrcanian Canopy by Sara Nejadi, University of Tehran
A breathtaking scene of native cattle emerging through the misty Hyrcanian forest—timeless, poetic, and honoring the beauty of local breeds in their natural habitat.
Runner-Up: Livestock at the Water Point: A Snapshot of Resilience in the ASALs by Meshack Baraza Obonyo, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Camels, goats, and sheep gathered around a water source in Kenya and Ethiopia, capturing the beauty and diversity of local livestock breeds and the vital role of rangelands in sustaining pastoralist livelihoods.
🏆 Collaborations and Team Work
Winner: Working as a Team to Achieve Success in Vaccination Exercise by Dr. Tuwanga Angelo, Ministry of Livestock Production, Nigeria
This image beautifully captures inclusive teamwork in action—a woman, child, and paraprofessional working together during vaccination, reflecting gender equity, intergenerational learning, and practical collaboration at the grassroots level.
Runner-Up: Science in Motion by Monika Fraczek, Omeva Consulting
Male and female students from the University of Namibia measuring pasture quality side by side—a hopeful glimpse into the next generation of livestock leaders, rooted in science, inclusivity, and shared responsibility.
🎖️ Community Choice Award
The Community Choice Award, voted on by LD4D members, goes to Dr. Terese Akpem, Vet Konect Ltd, for "A Woman Feeding Her Goat in an Intensive Production System" from the Gender & Farming category!
Picture credits: Gender & Farming: "A Woman Feeding Her Goat in an Intensive Production System" by Terese Akpem, Vet Konect Ltd
The community engagement was incredible—the LinkedIn voting post generated 46 reactions, 82 comments, 12 reposts, 1,394 impressions, and nearly 94% engagement, demonstrating how invested our community is in celebrating these powerful stories.
Community Choice Nominees:
Climate-Smart Livestock: "From Forest to Farm" by Titis Apdini, Wageningen University & Research
Collaborations and Team Work: "Livestock Tagging Activity in Bauchi State, Nigeria" by Chidike Ude, Megacorp Nigeria Limited
Digital Livestock: "Farm Data in Hand" by Monika Fraczek, Omeva Consulting
Your Local Livestock Beauty: "Livestock at the Water Point: A Snapshot of Resilience in the ASALs" by Meshack Baraza Obonyo, ILRI
Gender & Farming: "A Woman Feeding Her Goat in an Intensive Production System" by Terese Akpem, Vet Konect Ltd
What Made These Images Stand Out
The winning photographs excelled in both technical quality and storytelling power. They captured authentic community participation—particularly women's leadership in livestock systems—and showcased grassroots innovation and climate resilience in action. The best entries demonstrated practical solutions, from digital tools to vaccination efforts, while honouring the balance between traditional practices and modern approaches to livestock management.
Celebrating Our Community
Thank you to everyone who submitted photographs and participated in voting. Your images remind us of the human dimension of our work and the real-world contexts where livestock systems shape lives and livelihoods, and where data can drive better decisions across the sector.
Winning and finalist images will shared via LD4D social media channels. Please join us in celebrating these talented photographers and the important stories they've captured.
Behind the Scenes: All Entries
Congratulations to all our winners, runners-ups and participants for sharing your vision of livestock systems that are innovative, resilient, and community-centred.
