Evolving Impact of Livestock on Malawi's Food, Culture & Environment - Lecture
The SMP was honoured to host Professor Mizeck Chagunda
Lecture Synopsis:
"Whether it is for school fees or money for healthcare; for nutrient-dense food for day-to-day nourishment of a family, or for a community festival; for draught power for ploughing a maize field, manure for a tomato garden or indeed a present to family members, livestock have played and still play a vital role in Malawi. At national level, livestock contribute significantly to the GDP of the country. With all these cultural functions, have you ever imagined a Malawian village without any livestock at all? Unfortunately, with climate change, livestock contribute through emission of greenhouse gases and also get affected themselves through increased disease incidences and heat stress. In this talk, we interrogate the complex relationship between the peoples of Malawi and their livestock, and how this relationship has evolved over time".
About Mizeck Chagunda
Director, Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics & Health (CTLGH) and Chair of Tropical Livestock Genetics, University of Edinburgh
Prof Chagunda is a quantitative animal geneticist by training and has extensive expertise in tropical livestock breeding and genetics. He comes to Edinburgh from a position as Chair of Animal Breeding and Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics at the University of Hohenheim, Germany. With a distinguished background in academia spanning institutions such as the University of Malawi, the University of Goettingen in Germany, Aarhus University in Denmark and SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College), he has made significant contributions to research and education in the field. Mizeck is a former Trustee of the Scotland Malawi Partnership.
More info on Mizeck at CTLGH's website: here
Chaired by
This lecture was chaired by Professor Appolinaire Djikeng who heads the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), based in Nairobi. Prof Djikeng has been Professor at the Roslin Institute, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies since April 2017 and serves on international scientific advisory boards, juries and has held other senior research and management leadership positions globally.
Recorded video
Missed the event? You can find the recording here with the below time stamps.
00:00 Welcome by Nasim Vadalia, SMP Communications Lead
01:53: Opening remarks by CEO Stuart Brown, SMP
04:48 Chair remarks by Professor Appolinaire Djikeng, head of International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), based in Nairobi.
10:07 Lecture by Professor Mizeck Chagunda, Director, Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics & Health (CTLGH) and Chair of Tropical Livestock Genetics, University of Edinburgh
58:50 Q & A session
1:23:20 Closing remarks by CEO Stuart Brown, SMP
