[{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_u7v7BF4cNstfgiEjZH3BJdNqOwhb6I_2l3ktaEyyqIY.css?delta=0\u0026language=en\u0026theme=ilri\u0026include=eJxFyUEOwCAIBMAPGXzTWrCSiBLU_7fppdcZE1bkqn1L0AXfOkeyD6dYEaY6w7DfTo7AHfC2MsdxdPqFzvBTuq4m_ABhESDP"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"html","selector":"section#modal","data":"\n\u003Carticle class=\u0022node node--type-impact-story clearfix\u0022 data-story=\u0022\/stories\/social-capital\u0022\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Ca href=\u0022\/stories\/modal\/20\u0022 class=\u0022card-link use-ajax\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022hero-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n          \u003Cfigure class=\u0022hero\u0022 style=\u0022background-image: url(\u0027https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/hero\/public\/2025-05\/Hung%20Nguyen.jpg.webp?h=ff293f38\u0027);\u0022\u003E\n        \u003Cimg src=\u0027https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/hero\/public\/2025-05\/Hung%20Nguyen.jpg.webp?h=ff293f38\u0027 alt=\u0022Hung Nguyen (left), leader of ILRI\u0026#039;s health program, and local partner Ly Thi Nguyen, a market vendor in Hanoi\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\/social-capital\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\/social-capital\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\/social-capital\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\/social-capital\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\/social-capital\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\u003ESocial capital\u003C\/h2\u003E\n                      \u003Ch3 class=\u0022subtitle\u0022\u003ECentering partnerships in the scientific enterprise\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\u003EPartnership is embedded in ILRI\u0027s DNA. In its half century of mission-driven operations, ILRI has engaged in thousands of partnerships of diverse scale, scope, and purpose with organizations of diverse types, mandates, and sizes. Over this period, increased understanding that partnerships \u0022make or break\u0022 research success helped to transform ILRI from a \u0022science-first\u0022 organization into a \u0022partnership-centered\u0022 institution, one that values productive collaborations\u2014and the personal trust and social skills on which they are built and maintained\u2014as much as scientific excellence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003ESome recent partnerships\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong ILRI\u0027s more recent collaborations are partnerships with private sector leaders such as Zoetis, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/thermo-fisher-scientific-and-international-livestock-research-institute-join-forces-transform\u0022\u003EThermofisher\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/unlocking-power-genome-leap-towards-enhanced-food-nutrition-security-and-species-conservation\u0022\u003EIllumina\u003C\/a\u003E, as well as strategic research alliances with the International Dairy Federation, the Nepalese Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Moroccan Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, and the universities of California (at Davis), Edinburgh, Ghent, Iowa State, and Tennessee.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy September of 2024, ILRI and its partners had secured a USD10-million grant from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/ballmer-joins-all-star-lineup-philanthropists-investing-future-livestock-amid-climate-crisis\u0022\u003EBallmer Group\u003C\/a\u003E to advance climate-smart livestock innovations, with the aim of contributing towards ILRI\u2019s new strategic goal benefiting 300 million people in the Global South and including a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/livestock-and-climate-solutions-hub\u0022\u003ELivestock and Climate Solutions Hub\u003C\/a\u003E launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in November 2024. In October 2024, a new collaborative \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cimmyt.org\/blogs\/training-the-next-generation-of-plant-breeders-with-vacs\/\u0022\u003EVision for Adapted Crops and Soil Capacity Project\u003C\/a\u003E was launched that will make use of the Biosciences eastern and central Africa-ILRI Hub (BecA-ILRI Hub) laboratories to train the next generation of scientists in the latest technologies of plant breeding.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd in January 2025, a project to improve milk quality, safety, and marketing in Kenya was launched by ILRI and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kdb.go.ke\/\u0022\u003EKenya Dairy Board (KDB)\u003C\/a\u003E and a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/cirna-project-inception-meetings-held-uganda-and-kenya\u0022\u003ECircularity of Nutrients in Agroecosystems\u003C\/a\u003E project was launched in Uganda and Kenya by a consortium of partners from academia (Makerere and Maseno universities), research (ILRI, FAO, and Agroscope), and non-governmental organizations (Regenerative Africa, Women Farmers Association of Kenya, and V\u00e9t\u00e9rinaires Sans Fronti\u00e8res Germany).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EPartnerships driving impacts\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the following illustrative examples show, it is only through partnerships that ILRI is able to advance livestock-for-development and to take livestock innovations to scale in the communities that need them most.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/inline\/public\/2025-05\/EBI-ILRI.jpg.webp?itok=vFeLd9vC\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221067\u0022 alt=\u0022Joint seminar between Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) and ILRI in Addis Ababa in February 2025.\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-inline\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Joint seminar between the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) and ILRI in Addis Ababa in February 2025. \n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Agegnehu Alene\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDeveloping poultry breeds with Ethiopia\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, ILRI and the Ethiopian Government and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) created an advanced poultry \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.ilri.org\/2018\/04\/26\/art-and-science-bring-poultry-genetics-to-life-in-ethiopia-while-celebrating-local-diversity-in-all-its-forms\/\u0022\u003Eresearch-cum art installation\u003C\/a\u003E facility on ILRI\u0027s campus in Addis Ababa. The facility brings together Ethiopian scientists, farmers, agricultural extensionists, agripreneurs, government officials, and policymakers in work to breed farmer-preferred chickens that are productive\u2014disease-resistant and climate-resilient\u2014and specifically tailored to the needs of local consumers. The poultry facility is built on ILRI\u0027s African Chicken Genetic Gains project (now \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/tpgs\u0022\u003ETropical Poultry Genetic Solutions\u003C\/a\u003E), which has worked with Ethiopian partners to tap the rich poultry genetic diversity of Ethiopia and other developing countries for the benefit of smallholder farmers. In 2023, the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and ILRI co-developed and launched the country\u2019s first \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/first-national-poultry-development-strategy-enhance-food-and-nutrition-security-ethiopia#:~:text=Produced%20through%20a%20collaboration%20between,contributing%20to%20food%20and%20nutrition\u0022\u003ENational Poultry Development Strategy\u003C\/a\u003E, with the ambitious goal of doubling Ethiopia\u2019s poultry meat and egg production by 2030.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDeveloping poultry breeds with Kenya\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the past decade, staff of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) have been developing and testing two promising composite chicken strains at KALRO\u0027s research center in Naivasha. Working with ILRI, KALRO is now focusing on developing a breed known as \u003Cem\u003EMpeketoni \u003C\/em\u003Ethat is sourced from the Kenya Coast. The partners are working to optimize the breed\u0027s disease resistance, growth rate, egg production, and feed conversion efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDeveloping poultry breeds with Cambodia\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELocated in a region where chickens were first domesticated, Cambodia is home to a rich genetic pool of local chickens that are being leveraged to enhance breed productivity and resilience. ILRI and Cambodia\u0027s National Animal Health and Production Research Institute (NAHPRI) have launched a Participatory Indigenous Chicken Breed Improvement Program (PIC-BIP) combining genetic selection, farmer engagement, and capacity-building in development of preferred ecotypes in Cambodia\u0027s Takeo Province. Demonstration farms managed by local households are selectively breeding chickens to identify and breed the best-performing birds, with the improved breeding stock disseminated to local farmers.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/inline\/public\/2025-05\/AsCGG%20in%20Vietnam.jpg.webp?itok=843SX_tr\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221200\u0022 alt=\u0022Asian Chicken Genetic Gains in Vietnam.\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-inline\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        Asian Chicken Genetic Gains in Vietnam.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Hoa Hoang\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDeveloping livestock forages with Kenya\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EILRI\u2019s longstanding collaboration with KALRO is enhancing forage production for Kenya\u2019s small-scale farmers. Together, they have developed superior varieties of two essential livestock forages\u2014elephant grass (Napier) and \u003Cem\u003EBrachiaria \u003C\/em\u003Egrass\u2014that suit Kenya\u2019s diverse agroecological zones. KALRO selected cuttings of elephant grass stored in ILRI\u2019s Forage Genebank that are resistant to \u0022head smut\u0022, a disease that devastated farms across the country in the 1990s. Following release of \u003Cem\u003EKakamega\u003C\/em\u003E I and II disease-resistant varieties, five more promising types were identified, of which \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/improving-elephant-grass-most-widely-grown-forage-east-africa#:~:text=Through%20the%20collaboration%20with%20Embrapa,over%20the%20past%20five%20years.\u0022\u003Efour have been released in Ethiopia\u003C\/a\u003E since 2016. \u003Cem\u003EBrachiaria\u003C\/em\u003E grasses, which originated in eastern Africa and were taken to South America in the 1950s, where they have thrived ever since, have now come full circle. KALRO, ILRI, and other CGIAR researchers have identified cultivars suitable for Kenya, with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/drought-and-pest-tolerant-improved-brachiaria-grass-set-boost-tropical-livestock-production\u0022\u003Efour farmer-selected varieties now registered\u003C\/a\u003E.\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\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch%3Fv%3DQMy1TBN0IdY\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=nv3AO0J-zx4SZd-sXdJg6GsJFC7zW95x4MUO_be5TB4\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022A tour of\u0026nbsp;ILRI\u2019s forage demo plots showcasing climate-smart livestock feed solutions\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EImproving livestock breeding and human health with Sweden\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor decades, ILRI and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have been collaborating to advance sustainable livestock development, tackling challenges in productivity, health, and environmental sustainability. This enduring partnership has facilitated research and capacity-building programs, nurturing a new generation of scientists and practitioners across the Global South. Central to their efforts was a project launched 25 years ago on \u003Cem\u003ECapacity Building for Sustainable Use of Animal Genetic Resources in Developing Countries\u003C\/em\u003E. Through joint training programs, graduate fellowships, workshops, and online courses, ILRI and SLU have equipped scientists, extension workers, and educators with expertise in animal genetics and bioinformatics, promoting the sustainable use of livestock genetic resources. In addition, SLU and ILRI are working with developing-country partners to combat foodborne diseases, emerging zoonotic infectious diseases, and antimicrobial resistance in a series of One Health projects, with significant work in Vietnam. ILRI further supports SLU\u0027s Livestock Antimicrobial Partnership, which champions prudent antimicrobial use through education, training, and sound animal management practices.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/inline\/public\/2025-05\/SLU%20honorary%20doctorates.jpg.webp?itok=464AO1FU\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221200\u0022 alt=\u0022ILRI\u2019s long-standing partnership with SLU has led to the awarding of honorary doctor degrees to Brian Perry, Delia Grace and Thomas Randolph.\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-inline\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        ILRI\u2019s long-standing partnership with SLU has led to the awarding of honorary doctor degrees to Brian Perry, Delia Grace and Thomas Randolph. \n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Delia Grace\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EImplementing One Health with Southeast Asia\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EILRI\u2019s partnerships in Southeast Asia began in 2008 with a five-year \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/ecosystem-approaches-better-management-zoonotic-emerging-infectious-diseases\u0022\u003EEcoZEID project\u003C\/a\u003E addressing zoonotic diseases by integrating human, animal, and environment health expertise. These collaborations have become a model for tackling interconnected health threats across the region, with ILRI contributing to the Southeast Asia One Health University Network to strengthen education and training addressing shared health challenges. More recent milestones include ILRI\u0027s co-developing with Vietnam a framework and master plan 2021\u20132025 for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/116880\u0022\u003EVietnam One Health Partnership\u003C\/a\u003E (OHP), launched in 2016, which is uniting ministries of agriculture, health, and environment to address zoonotic diseases. ILRI is also collaborating with the Vietnam One Health University Network to train the next generation of professionals in zoonotic risk assessment and community health research. Today, ILRI works with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/65141\u0022\u003E44 Vietnamese institutions\u003C\/a\u003E, including six government entities, 18 universities and research centers, and 20 local authorities. In recognition of this close collaboration, Vietnam\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has recently awarded ILRI\u0027s former and current directors general (Jimmy Smith and Appolinaire Djikeng, respectively), ILRI\u0027s health program leader (Hung Nguyen), and ILRI\u0027s regional representative for East and Southeast Asia (Fred Unger) with the highest honor MARD bestows in agricultural and rural development.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/inline\/public\/2025-05\/ILRI%20certificate%20of%20merit.jpg.webp?itok=jEcFvUP3\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u0022763\u0022 alt=\u0022ILRI receiving a special certificate of merit from Vietnam\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-inline\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        ILRI receiving a special certificate of merit from Vietnam\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. \n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Vu Ngoc Dung\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EArticle written by Susan MacMillan, ILRI Emeritus Fellow\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                   \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\/2025-09\/Boni%20Moyo.jpg.webp?itok=m8m8l6zu\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Boni Moyo\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  Siboniso (Boni) Moyo\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Deputy Director General Partnerships \u0026amp; Impact\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  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/article\u003E\n","settings":null}]