Estimating livestock diets in support of improved estimation of greenhouse gas emissions for the livestock sector: a case study in East Africa

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This project will use earth observation data combined with local ground truth from surveys to improve estimates of livestock diets in East Africa to support more robust estimates of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from the livestock sector. Livestock are a key source of GHG emissions but the extent of their contribution is contested. Current numbers rely heavily on accurate estimates of livestock productivity and diet composition and these estimates are uncertain. For example, the FAO Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) uses crop distribution and yield data from GAEZ, in combination with feed baskets estimated by system and country, mostly derived from 'expert opinion'. As well as uncertainty in composition, GLEAM is currently unable to account for seasonality in feed availability. Improvement of the accuracy of feed basket estimation and accounting for seasonality would significantly enhance the ability of the model to provide realistic estimates of GHG emissions from the livestock sector, particularly in LMICs, and to better estimate the mitigation potential of different interventions.