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src=\u0027https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/hero\/public\/2025-05\/Researchers%20working%20at%20the%20sheep%20cubicles%20in%20Mazingira%20Center.%20Photo-Elphas%20Ngugi.jpg.webp?h=e99d7089\u0027 alt=\u0022Sheep cubicles at ILRI\u0026#039;s Mazingira Center\u0022 class=\u0022d-none\u0022 \/\u003E\n      \u003C\/figure\u003E\n        \u003Cdiv class=\u0022sharing-buttons\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ca\n        href=\u0022https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/stories\/mazingira\u0022\n        title=\u0022Share on Facebook\u0022\n        target=\u0022_blank\u0022\n        aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n        \u003Ci class=\u0022fa-brands fa-square-facebook\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022visually-hidden\u0022\u003EFacebook\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/a\u003E\n      \u003Ca\n        href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/stories\/mazingira\u0022\n        title=\u0022Share on X\u0022\n        target=\u0022_blank\u0022\n        aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n        \u003Ci class=\u0022fa-brands fa-square-x-twitter\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022visually-hidden\u0022\u003ETwitter\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/a\u003E\n      \u003Ca\n        href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true\u0026amp;url=https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/stories\/mazingira\u0022\n        title=\u0022Share on LinkedIn\u0022\n        target=\u0022_blank\u0022\n        aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n        \u003Ci class=\u0022fa-brands fa-linkedin\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022visually-hidden\u0022\u003ELinkedIn\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/a\u003E\n      \u003Ca\n        href=\u0022https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/stories\/mazingira\u0022\n        title=\u0022Share on Whatsapp\u0022\n        target=\u0022_blank\u0022\n        aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n        \u003Ci class=\u0022fa-brands fa-square-whatsapp\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022visually-hidden\u0022\u003EWhatsapp\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/a\u003E\n      \u003Ca\n        href=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/stories\/mazingira\u0022\n        title=\u0022Copy on Clipboard\u0022\n        target=\u0022_blank\u0022\n        class=\u0022share-button\u0022\n        aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\n        \u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-link\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022visually-hidden\u0022\u003ECopy on Clipboard\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/a\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022container\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-10 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n        \u003Cdiv class=\u0022title-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n          \u003Ch2 class=\u0022title\u0022\u003EMazingira\u003C\/h2\u003E\n                      \u003Ch3 class=\u0022subtitle\u0022\u003EAfrica\u0026#039;s leading centre for greenhouse gas emissions and environmental research\u003C\/h3\u003E\n                  \u003C\/div\u003E\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022content\u0022\u003E\n    \n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EA decade ago, little was known about the greenhouse gas emissions produced by livestock in Africa. \u2018We had little idea what the data looked like,\u201d says system ecologist Lutz Merbold. \u201cEmissions values were essentially guesses.\u2019 Policy-makers and researchers extrapolated from experiments carried out on animals in the Global North, using these numbers to determine the emissions budgets for African countries.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYet smallholder farming in the drylands and rangelands of sub-Saharan Africa differs greatly from farming in the Swiss Alps, North American feedlots or temperate New Zealand. Different breeds subsist on different feed in different production systems in different landscapes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving no field evidence for the continent\u2019s real livestock emissions introduced significant uncertainty into global climate models, says Sonja Leitner, an ILRI ecologist.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfrica matters for global cycles. It matters for global emissions budgets. Even if we might not always be able to reduce emissions here, it\u0027s important to know how much is being emitted.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo in 2012, researchers established the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/facilities\/mazingira-centre\u0022\u003EMazingira Centre\u003C\/a\u003E at ILRI\u2019s campus in Nairobi\u2014a multi-disciplinary research hub dedicated to understanding the environmental footprint of African livestock systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey set up in an old unused building. \u2018It had been used for experiments on rats, without any windows, without anything,\u2019 says the centre\u2019s founding team leader Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, an agroecologist. The team cleaned it up, added laboratories (and windows), hired technicians and scientists, and installed a wide range of essential equipment like gas chromatographs and livestock respiration chambers\u2014then the only ones on the continent.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                   \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--contacts paragraph--view-mode--default\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Anthony%20Whitbread%20photo.jpg.webp?itok=-qohKG-d\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Anthony Whitbread photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Anthony Whitbread\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Program Lead, Livestock, Climate, Environment\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Claudia%20Arndt%20ILRI.jpeg.webp?itok=6J3aEP2Y\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Claudia Arndt photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Claudia Arndt\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Team Leader, ILRI Mazingira Centre\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Sonja%20Leitner%20ILRI.jpg.webp?itok=bWTTyzIt\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Sonja Leitner photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Sonja Leitner\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  ILRI Senior scientist\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-11\/Daniel_Mulat.jpg.webp?itok=Iz5XM8vD\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Daniel\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Daniel Girma Mulat\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Laboratory Manager\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EFrom the start, Mazingira had a nimble, innovative vibe, says Merbold, who led Mazingira from 2016 to 2020 and is now a visiting scientist. \u0027We were running the whole thing in rebel mode, with a start-up mentality.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut very soon, the rebels began producing results.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe scientists brought animals onsite and into the respiration chambers, and for the first time, were able to measure the greenhouse gas emissions produced by African cattle, eating African feed in African environmental conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32209141\/\u0022\u003Efirst study\u003C\/a\u003E found that underfed ruminants generally produce around 20 percent \u003Cem\u003Emore\u003C\/em\u003E greenhouse gases from a given amount of feed than well-fed ones\u2014an important distinction in a continent where many animals (and people) go hungry. In 2019, Kenya updated its greenhouse gas inventory with the improved emission factors accordingly.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team also built infrastructure to measure manure emissions. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0956053X21001495\u0022\u003EThey found\u003C\/a\u003E, for instance, that cattle manure heaps in Kenya emit 1.5-3 times less N\u2082O than had been predicted based on data from the Global North.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EButterbach-Bahl, Merbold and Leitner also found cattle bomas are overlooked N\u2082O hotspots, contributing as much as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.agee.2024.108980\u0022\u003E32% of farm-scale N\u2082O emissions\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-020-18359-y\u0022\u003E5% of total African nitrous oxide emissions\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the insights are not limited to livestock emissions in isolation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have the capacity to measure a lot of things here in the lab, which I\u0027m quite excited about, because I like measuring stuff,\u2019 says Leitner, who lead\u2019s Mazingira\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;soil, manure and ecosystem research team.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--image\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/2025-03\/Cow%20in%20respiratory%20chamber.jpg.webp?itok=5TQbFlX3\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 alt=\u0022Cow in respiratory chamber\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-large\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        A cow in the respiratory chamber at ILRI\u2019s Mazingira Centre is assessed for emissions based on its diet.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Svenja Marquardt\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/inline\/public\/2025-03\/Mazingira%20infographic.jpg.webp?itok=Or6QONS8\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221377\u0022 alt=\u0022Mazingira centre areas of research\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-inline\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Areas of research for Mazingira Centre, ILRI.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   Annabel Slater\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis diverse capability is especially important when it comes to the second part of Mazingira\u2019s work: not just measuring emissions, but the more difficult task of\u0026nbsp;testing solutions for reducing them. Yet smallholder farming in the drylands and rangelands of sub-Saharan Africa differs greatly from farming in the Swiss Alps, North American feedlots or temperate New Zealand. Different breeds subsist on different feed in different production systems in different landscapes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ETHINKING IN SYSTEMS\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMazingira means \u2018environment\u2019 in Swahili, and from the start, the team wanted to ensure they took a holistic, systems approach to the work. Low-income countries, understandably, prioritise lifting their people out of poverty and improving resilience to climate changes by boosting livestock productivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EMazingira is really the only lab of its kind in Africa with this measurement capacity. What I like is that we can look at all the different emission sources in the landscape\u2014 animals, manure, soils, vegetation, even water.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Sonja%20Leitner%20ILRI.jpg.webp?itok=bWTTyzIt\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Sonja Leitner photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Sonja Leitner\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E  Ecologist, senior scientist\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003E\u2018Trying to find solutions to the greenhouse gas problem in smallholder systems is very challenging,\u2019 says ILRI agronomist Anthony Whitbread, who leads ILRI\u2019s Livestock, Climate and Environment Program, of which Mazingira is a part.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMethane-reducing strategies developed in the Global North\u2014such as expensive feed additives for use in feedlots\u2014often have little relevance in African farming systems, he says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmissions intensities are entwined with productivity, explains dairy scientist Claudia Arndt, Mazingira\u2019s team leader since 2021\u2014unhealthy, unproductive animals produce very little milk, for instance, while still belching methane. (A \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/sustainable-food-systems\/articles\/10.3389\/fsufs.2024.1390047\/full\u0022\u003Erecent study\u003C\/a\u003E by Mazingira scientists in collaboration with ILRI\u0027s health team and international scientists also quantified the emissions intensity and food-security implications of calf mortality and cows miscarrying.) \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch conducted at Mazingira is showing there may be ways to improve milk and meat production that also reduce greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of protein\u2014if not absolute emissions\u2014while keeping animals and people healthier and benefitting the broader environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Kenya, for instance, Mazingira researchers and collaborators found that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/155054\u0022\u003Epackages of simple interventions\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/can-kenya-meet-dairy-production-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-reduction-targets-2030\u0022\u003Eraising fertility rates, and supplementing feeding\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014could raise productivity, reduce emissions intensities, and help the country meet milk yield goals by 2030.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, Mazingira\u0027s animal team, in collaboration with ILRI\u2019s forage team, is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/low-methane-forage\u0022\u003Etesting forages\u003C\/a\u003E to find those that might reduce methane emissions from livestock. Mazingira lab manager Daniel Mulat has also installed biogas facilities and is leading a team working on how producing biogas and fertiliser from manure could reduce reliance on firewood and synthetic fertiliser while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EWe need research to find the solutions that will be socially acceptable, economically viable, and reflect the sort of system we\u0027re in. But in a climate crisis, you\u0027ve also got to think about ways of managing emissions at the same time as adaptation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-06\/Anthony%20Whitbread%20photo.jpg.webp?itok=-qohKG-d\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Anthony Whitbread photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Anthony Whitbread\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E  Program lead, Livestock, Climate and Environment\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003ESimultaneously, Leitner and colleagues \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/cirna-circularity-nutrients-agroecosystems-and-co-benefits-animal-and-human\u0022\u003Eare investigating\u003C\/a\u003E how to maximise the use of manure as a nutrient source while protecting human health and the environment. And Merbold, Leitner and other researchers recently \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10113-021-01823-w\u0022\u003Edeveloped a blueprint\u003C\/a\u003E for establishing an environmental research and greenhouse gas observation infrastructure for Africa.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EImportantly, it\u2019s no good reducing emissions in one sphere only to increase them in another, Arndt points out. Perhaps a feed intervention results in cows burping less methane, but what if it simultaneously raises methane or nitrous oxide emissions in their manure?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s only by conducting empirical research across the entire system, something Mazingira is uniquely placed to do, that scientists can reveal these kinds of trade-offs, she says\u2014and conversely identify triple-wins that might boost food security and health, and mitigate global warming at the same time. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022video-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Ciframe src=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/media\/oembed?url=https%3A\/\/youtu.be\/sp3MQKNI8r0%3Fsi%3DDEU_wXuA8pLNSv-B\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=vWm7zyAhrzzH4e8y4G65aD_g_dAS1O7vHjgbZLQ2MzU\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022Why livestock greenhouse gas emissions matter in Africa\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EPEOPLE MATTER\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe centre exists not just to create new knowledge, but also to share and retain it.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMazingira scientists train and supervise local Masters and PhD students, many of whom have gone on to work within African governments and internationally, and run trainings for students from the Global North\u2014\u2018I think it\u2019s important we get this perspective heard there, too,\u2019 says Leitner. The centre has also hosted trainings for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mazingira.ilri.org\/2018\/12\/06\/building-capacity-in-greenhouse-gas-analytics-beyond-ilris-mazingira-centre\/\u0022\u003Eresearchers from countries in the region\u003C\/a\u003E to do their own measurements and calculations of emission factors. \u2018Mazingira really backstops a huge shift in being able to manage your own affairs in terms of greenhouse gas accounting,\u2019 says Whitbread.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--image\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/2025-04\/Measuring%20nitrous%20oxide.jpg.webp?itok=BzFq57bn\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 alt=\u0022Measuring greenhouse gases in soil and manure at ILRI Kapiti\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-large\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Mazingira scientists are measuring emissions in smallholder farms and extensive systems. Here, greenhouse gases in soil and manure are measured in temporary livestock enclosures in ILRI\u2019s rangeland research station in Kenya.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ETHZ\/Matti Barthel\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the centre hosts occasional summer schools, where students learn about greenhouse gas emissions, how to use the technology for measuring them, and the benefits of a systems approach. Under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/essa-earth-observation-and-environmental-sensing-climate-smart-sustainable\u0022\u003EESSA project\u003C\/a\u003E, for instance, 15 African PhD students recently spent three days at Mazingira learning from experts.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUltimately, Merbold hopes African countries will be able to set up their own research laboratories for GHG emissions. \u2018I think it\u0027s critical to build the next generation of centres that can deliver this kind of research.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven once those laboratories exist, Mazingira will still be needed to provide high-quality gas analysis services for those that can\u2019t access them, as well as serving as a continent-wide capacity-building hub not just for scientists but for technicians as well, says Leitner.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you want more Mazingira-type centres, you have to think about people who can run it. It\u2019s something that\u2019s often overlooked\u2014you can find the money to buy the equipment, but then you have a gas chromatograph sitting somewhere and it\u2019s not in use. You need trained and experienced staff that can run and fix these.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMazingira technicians now know as much about the machines they operate as the companies that make the technology, Arndt says, because ILRI\u2019s continuous funding of the centre has meant they\u2019ve been there a long time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou need people in place long term.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--image\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/2025-04\/GHG%20discussion.jpg.webp?itok=rpvdLcq5\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 alt=\u0022Sonja Leitner discusses greenhouse gas measurements\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-large\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        ILRI soil ecologist Sonja Leitner leads a discussion with officials from the environment and agriculture ministries of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda on greenhouse gas measurements from manure heaps at the Mazingira research facility.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Sarah Kasyoka\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n  \n  \u003Cfigure class=\u0022full-width-image paragraph\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/hero\/public\/2025-04\/EddyCovariance%20by%20LutzMerbold.jpg.webp?h=13ae596e\u0026amp;itok=nBf8dN_F\u0022 width=\u00222400\u0022 height=\u0022960\u0022 alt=\u0022Eddy covariance\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-hero\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n      \n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n  \u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Ch3\u003EA CENTER FOR THE FUTURE\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn an effort to move towards financial sustainability, Mazingira \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/facilities\/mazingira-centre\/analytical-services\u0022\u003Enow offers laboratory services to external clients\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014greenhouse gas analysis, nutritional analysis of animal feeds, and soil, manure, biogas and water testing\u2014overseen by Mulat. \u2018These things can all be ordered from us,\u2019 says Arndt. \u2018Across Africa, I don\u0027t think there\u0027s anywhere else that can do this combination of tests. If researchers or governments don\u2019t have the technology\u2014or the technicians\u2014they can send their samples to us.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENo longer a start-up, Mazingira has been fully integrated into the rest of ILRI. Currently more than 40 people from a dozen nationalities work there. \u2018What\u2019s important for us is to have all these disciplines sitting in the same building and working together,\u2019 says Merbold.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe energy, passion, and dedication of this diverse team\u2014scientists, researchers and technicians\u2014underpin Mazingira\u2019s success, says Arndt. \u2018Their expertise and commitment have been critical to the lab\u2019s ability to generate new knowledge, drive innovation, and push the boundaries of science\u2014contributing vital data that not only influences policy but also enhances agricultural practices across Africa.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Cp\u003EArndt would like to see the centre continue to grow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We\u2019re still not running on full capacity,\u2019 she says. There\u2019s room for more scientists, more silo-busting work.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, we aim to add a microbiologist to the team, specifically someone with expertise in rumen microbiomes and methane emissions. There is very little data available on this topic for Africa, even though it is crucial for understanding and reducing methane production in ruminants.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EButterbach-Bahl is proud that a decade on, Mazingira continues to thrive. In 2024, he was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/agro.au.dk\/en\/current-news\/news\/show\/artikel\/danish-researcher-wins-nobel-prize-in-sustainability-1\u0022\u003Eawarded the Nobel Sustainability Prize\u003C\/a\u003E, in part for his work at Mazingira. In-situ field and lab research is crucial to science, he says. Modelling on a desktop computer might be cheap, but it can only get you so far.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInvestments in infrastructure and people are critical. We need experimental data and evidence, and we need to empower people to work with the technology that we are using in our countries in the Global North\u2014bringing the same knowledge and the same methods to allow our partner countries in the Global South to do the same as us.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStory written by Kate Evans, science writer\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/article\u003E\n","settings":null}]