 Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to welcome you all to this conference to mark the 14th anniversary of the International Livestock Research Institute early, and its two predecessors, the International Livestock Center for Africa and the International Laboratory for Research on behalf of the Government of Ethiopia and my own, I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate early sport management staff and the livestock community in general to welcome you all to this important event. Ladies and gentlemen, as the world enters the era of the post-millennium development course, the challenge of feeding a growing population remains. With a global population expected to reach 9 to 10 billion by 2050, it is estimated that full production will need to increase by as much as 70%. Africa with yet abundant agricultural potential is believed to contribute to filling this gap. Across much of Ethiopia, the continent of Africa and other parts of the world, agriculture, not least livestock production has significant direct and considerable indirect impact on the fight against hunger and poverty. Livestock is increasingly recognized to have a significant potential to contribute to overall economic growth, poverty reduction, and food and nutritional security. It plays multiple roles in the livelihood of the people, impacting in many ways on food and nutrition security, economic well-being, social status, environmental sustainability and people's health. In the context of this conference, I will highlight the key issues concerning food and nutritional security, economic development and poverty reduction and climate change, which are particularly significant. Regarding food and nutrition security, livestock makes a significant contribution to food security. Animal products can contribute high-quality protein and calories at affordable prices to both rural farm families and urban consumers. Globally, it contributes about 26% of the protein and 13% of the total calories. Furthermore, growth in demand for animal products is projected to increase significantly over the next five years, particularly in countries that are currently classified as low-income or emerging middle-income countries. For instance, milk consumption in sub-Sahara Africa is predicted to triple in the next few decades. Alongside rising demand issues such as food safety and zoonotic disease requires a new approach to mitigate human health risks. While for many developing countries of Africa and Asia, the focus would be toward this increase of productivity of both food crops and livestock. Ladies and gentlemen, the challenge therefore would be how do we sustainably produce more food for all people? This needs to be done in a way that takes account of the natural resource space in the case of climate change. At the moment, the contribution of livestock to food and nutrition security in Africa and in other developing countries is low compared to its potential, mainly because of low animal productivity. Therefore, research to sustainably increase productivity through combining improved technologies, enabling policies, organizational and institutional arrangements is needed. Increased productivity coupled with lower prices can improve both availability and accessibility of food and nutrition from animal sources for food consumers. For the coming decades, the small-holder production systems will remain crucial to the development of agriculture in Africa and the developing world. A critical role for research is to identify pathways for sustainable intensification of small farms, most of which are integrated crop livestock farms. As incomes urbanization and diet shifts towards higher value commodities like meat and milk, the contribution of livestock to economic growth increases through its multiplier effect with agriculture and other sectors outside agriculture. Increased economic activity in livestock fosters forward linkage through growth in livestock processing and marketing and backward linkage through increased demand for inputs and livestock services. Thus, livestock has a growing share of economic activity and rural incomes. Livestock also creates employment, not only in the production, but in trading, processing and marketing. Employment in other sectors is especially high in the formal sectors of Africa and Asia, which constitutes as much as 70% of the market. In Africa, animal assets also act as a type of insurance and can be quickly sold to finance investments such as school fees or to maintain consumption during illness or drought. For some of the arid to semi-arid areas of the marginal lands, livestock raising is the only productive enterprise possible. Climate change causes serious risk to lives and livelihoods, particularly in Africa, where poor farmers are the most vulnerable populations. The impact of climate change may substantially delay or reverse progress towards addressing development challenges. Therefore, any sustainable improvement in productivity must also recognize the challenge posed by climate change. In this regard, Ethiopia has developed a climate-resilient green economy strategy that focuses on reducing greenhouse green emissions through relying on renewable energy source and aggressively greening the country through integrated rural resource management. In this regard, while successfully covered deforestation from 3% vegetation cover to 11% within a total of 15 years' time. Ladies and gentlemen, in the past few years, agricultural development has recognized prominence in discussions on policies for economic development and poverty alleviation in Africa. Africa leaders have repeatedly underlined agriculture's economic and social importance and made specific policy proposals on targets for agricultural growth and for a significant increase in the share of national budgets devoted to agriculture through the Kadim. The rapid demand growth associated with income growth, urbanization and expanded regional markets as well as relatively higher prices for livestock production open up new opportunities for small-holder producers in domestic, regional and international markets. However, throughout these different levels, the major challenge is in the competitiveness of small-holder farmers. A key issue is to keep and implement appropriate strategies and support systems that allow small farmers, specialized livestock keepers and crop livestock mix to adopt technologies as the scale necessary to make a major difference. In this regard, capacity, development and women participation are important components, particularly in job creation for key actors in the current and future livestock agriculture. Women's role in livestock has been very instrumental, playing significant roles in raising animals as well as processing and selling livestock commodities. Ladies and gentlemen, as I move towards the end of my speech, I would like to draw your attention to the following. The first rising demand in Africa for milk, meat and eggs is a thriving, great challenge in the continent's livestock sector. This growing demand will be met on one way or another. We all need to work together to influence how the demand is met. The growth presents small-holders who provide most of these commodities today with big new opportunities. The growth also presents Africa with many big and new opportunity, health and environmental challenges. Having the largest livestock population in Africa, Ethiopia have not benefited from the sector due to the various development challenges. Direct export revenue of livestock animals, meat, was only $262 million USD while potentially it would easily be quadra-built. Due to infrastructural and market system problems, most of our animals are traded informally to neighboring countries without generating foreign currency. Animal health, traceability and quarantine services are the key components that need to be put in place in order to change the scenario. The Government of Ethiopia has determined that livestock will be a priority sector in the coming years. In addition, livestock being high-value commodity will contribute an increasing household income accelerating poverty reduction. Growth of this sector will also directly contribute in generating of foreign currency, directly and through value-added product of meat and leather industry. As a host country of Elri, through the years we have benefited through capacity building and implementation of joint programs. Recently, completed livestock development master plan is one good example to mention the contribution of Elri towards national livestock development. This master plan will be the living and guiding document of livestock investment for the coming decade. My government will remain committed to implement the strategy and realize the livestock potential as one of the agricultural growth driving starting this year. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my hope that this conference will address the priorities set by the heads of states and the Government of the African Union in the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transporation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods. The question is how livestock will contribute to some of the commitments which include having poverty by the year 2025 through inclusive agricultural growth and transformation, boosting intra-Africa trade in agricultural commodities and services and enhancing resilience of livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other related risks. This conference is also specially appropriate in light of the fact that this year is being recognized as the African Union Year of Agriculture and Food Security. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my hope that this special conference during the recovery of early at 40 will offer an opportunity for participants to dialogue on key issues facing animal agriculture. The way forward which will be forged at this event will be crucial in advancing our common agenda of ending hunger and poverty and improving economic well-being in Africa and beyond. Finally, I wish you all successful deliberations. To those who have come from outside Ethiopia have an enjoyable stay in a desert. Thank you.