Towards sustainable animal-source food systems: integrated demand and production perspectives (KB-53-000-020)

This KB project supports a PhD exploring how livestock development can actively contribute to achieving both development and environmental sustainability goals. Livestock provides essential nutrients and economic opportunities, particularly for vulnerable populations, making it a central component of global food systems. However, current and projected production and consumption trends risk exceeding nutritional needs and placing unsustainable pressures on societies and natural resources. Therefore, this project investigates how livestock production and consumption pathways can be designed to enhance nutrition and livelihoods while minimizing environmental impacts and achieving sustainability goals

 

Designed to be flexible, the PhD will develop in close connection with ongoing work at WLR and collaborations with the World Bank, enabling integration of practical datasets, analytical tools, and policy-relevant insights. The research will provide new understanding of global food system transitions, positioning livestock as a key lever for achieving sustainable development and climate objectives. While specific themes may evolve as the PhD progresses, the focus areas include quantifying animal-source food intake needed to address nutritional gaps, identifying livestock systems that most effectively deliver multiple societal objectives, and improving the robustness of impact assessments—particularly greenhouse gas emissions—in data-limited contexts.