Global demand for livestock products is expanding and the role of developing countries in meeting this demand is increasing. Nutrition of the reproductive female in livestock production systems in developed and developing countries is a key to satisfying this increased demand because it influences the number, size and survival of offspring, and the frequency with which they are produced. One field of research that is attracting increasing attention is in utero nutrition of the fetus because of 
evidence that it influences postnatal productivity and health in the long-term. 
Livestock in the developing world endure unique challenges from their environments, which are generally harsher and less managed than those faced by livestock in the developed countries. A feature of livestock production systems in developing countries is the fluctuation in the amount and quality of feed resources accessible to livestock. The fetus, therefore, is exposed to various challenges that are mostly, but not exclusively, of nutritional origin and that may influence its lifetime performance. The local genotypes within developing countries are unique in that they often have evolved, been selected for, or been exposed to trans-generational environmental effects, which dictate that survival is the overriding production objective. Often, little or no knowledge exists on whether the maternal environment influences the subsequent productive performance of offspring from these genotypes. A better understanding of how fetal development can be enhanced to improve lifetime performance in local genotypes will provide more opportunities to satisfy the increasing demand for livestock products. The concept and outline for this publication were developed at a Consultants Meeting entitled “Improvement of animal productivity in developing countries by manipulation of nutrition in utero and indentification of future areas of research in animal nutrition” organized by the Animal Production and Health Section of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. The meeting was held in Vienna in October 2005 and participants included seven experts
on in utero development and nutrition and on fetal programming from agricultural research organisations and universities in France (Prof. Jean-François Hocquette), New Zealand (Prof. Peter Gluckman), Australia (Prof. Dennis Poppi and Dr. Paul Greenwood), USA (Prof. Stephen Ford) and Denmark (Dr. Mette Olaf Nielsen and Dr. Mario Acquarone), as well as IAEA staff with expertise in livestock production (Harinder Makkar, coordinating Technical Officer). The participants addressed theextent to which nutritional challenges influence fetal development and subsequent health, growth, reproductive and lactational characteristics of offspring. The main  objective of the meeting was to determine the value and scope of a new Coordinated Research Project in the field of fetal programming, focussing on nutritiongene interactions. The goal of such a project would be to enhance livestock productivity and, within its scope, propose specific areas of research of importance to developing countries.
The consultants focussed their discussions on measurement of short- and long-term effects of challenges during pregnancy in genotypes within developing countries. They also discussed the development of production systems aimed at alleviating these constraints for instance, by supplementation, and to improve the amount and quality of outputs from production systems. A framework for a proposal highlighting the research and technical training needs required for this programme to succeed within developing countries was developed. However, it was clear from the outset that a comprehensive review of the literature for a range of livestock species was needed to support the technical training and research needs of the programme.
This book should serve as a text for any researcher with an interest in fetal programming and developmental plasticity, although it will be of most use for researchers in Member States who need a basis from which they can initiate a programme of research in this field.