Africa will benefit greatly from advances in livestock science that will benefit the animals and the people they provide with high quality protein, said scientists here Sunday.

Panelists addressed the hopes and challenges of modernizing livestock production in Sub-Saharan Africa during the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Vancouver, B.C.

“We explored how implementing new technologies will benefit society,” said University of Idaho animal scientist Rod Hill. He studies physiology in cattle, focusing on topics including feed use efficiency and muscle development.

“The issue is,” Hill said, “how do we get them to work best for mankind and benefit societies in Africa.”