Shirley Tarawali, assistant director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), spoke about how to advocate more effectively for livestock at the Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D) Community of Practice meeting held this week in Vietnam. The meeting, hosted by ILRI, brought together scientists, donors and policymakers to generate better data and develop innovative approaches to the sector, particularly in the developing world.

Shirley Tarawali, ILRI’s assistant director general, spoke at the Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D) Community of Practice meeting held this week in Vietnam.

‘It’s easy to be defensive because we’re often on the back foot,’ said Tarawali, who acknowledged that the benefits of livestock are often taken for granted in the developed world. ‘The consumers in the developed world see a piece of meat or a bottle of milk in the supermarket,’ she said, whereas in the developing world a more nuanced and complex picture emerges…