ILRI

ILRI stands for the International Livestock Research Institute, a nonprofit research organization that is part of the CGIAR Consortium. The institute conducts science to reduce poverty and increase food security by improving livestock systems in low- and middle-income countries. Its work encompasses animal health and welfare, genetics and breeding, nutrition and feed systems, and the economics and policy of livestock value chains, with emphasis on resilience to climate change and management of zoonotic disease risk.

History and scope: ILRI's origins lie in the 1994 merger of the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) in Addis Ababa and the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD) in Nairobi, forming ILRI. The organization is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and maintains a network of field sites and offices across Africa and Asia, collaborating with national research systems, universities, and development partners.

Operations and research approach: ILRI pursues applied research and capacity-building programs that translate scientific findings into practical advances for smallholder farmers and livestock keepers. Areas of focus include livestock health and disease control, genetics and breeding for productivity and resilience, nutrition and feed resources, market access, and policy and institutional development.

Funding and governance: ILRI is a non-profit organization governed by a board and led by a director general. Its funding comes from governments, international development agencies, and philanthropic foundations, including major contributors such as USAID, the European Union, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. ILRI collaborates with other CGIAR centers and regional research networks.

Notes: The term ilri in lowercase can refer to the same organization in text where capitalization is not used, but ILRI is the standard acronym. It may also appear in non-standard or fictional contexts as an acronym for other organizations.