Monthly Archives: August 2011

Africa / Agri-Health / Animal Diseases / Asia / Capacity Strengthening / CRP4 / Emerging Diseases / Health (human) / Livestock / South Asia / Southeast Asia / West Africa / Zoonotic Diseases

Strengthening laboratory capacity in response to emerging pandemic threats: FAO, OIE and WHO working together

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Early detection of zoonotic pathogens emerging in wild and domestic animal populations before they become a threat to human health is a priority for the public health and animal health sectors. An effective and credible laboratory service is an essential component of such early detection systems. As part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) … Continue reading »

Climate Change / CRP7 / Drought / East Africa / Film and video / Food security / Insurance / PA / Vulnerability

Reverse decline in agricultural development in drought-ravaged Horn of Africa–Jim Hansen

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Climate and food security expert Jim Hansen, based at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, at Colombia University, recently laid out some of the causes of food insecurity in drought-afflicted East Africa. Among the main reasons he cites is a decline, since the 1990s, in agricultural research and development in this region, a … Continue reading »

CRP11 / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Food security / ILRI / Kenya / PA / Pastoralism / PLE / Report / Vulnerability

Free livestock movements and viable livestock markets help pastoralists cope with droughts in Horn

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Watering camels in a makeshift trough on the road from Wajir to Garissa, in northeast Kenya; herders are taking advantage of the rains to water their livestock after a long period of drought (photo on Flickr by Ann Weru/IRIN). The New Agriculturist this month reports on a recent study by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) … Continue reading »

Drought / East Africa / Eritrea / Ethiopia / Food security / Kenya / PA / Pastoralism / Vulnerability

Where people are starving, and where they are not, reflects more on African leaders than on the climate–Mark Malloch-Brown

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The landscape of Tigray, Ethiopia, which was the centre of famine in that country 25 years ago but is now managing to remain food secure due to years of agricultural and other investments (photo on Flickr by hhesterr). Mark Malloch-Brown is in good, and candid, form in an opinion piece in Reuters published yesterday. ‘. … Continue reading »

Africa / Biodiversity / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Livestock / Report / Research / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Characterization and conservation of indigenous sheep genetic resources

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A research report by Solomon Gizaw, H. Komen, O. Hanotte, J.A.M. van Arendonk, Steve Kemp, Aynalem Haile, O. Mwai and Tadelle Dessie on Characterization and conservation of indigenous sheep genetic resources: A practical framework for developing countries was released on 12 April 2011. Livestock characterization projects in developing regions are characterized by a mere physical description of traditionally … Continue reading »

CRP11 / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Film and video / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Pastoralism / PLE / Pro-Poor Livestock / Somalia / Vulnerability

ILRI scientist Andrew Mude interviewed on CNBC Africa television: ‘Increase investments in the pastoral livelihood’

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Andrew Mude of ILRI receives the best practice award for an Index-based Livestock Insurance project in northern Kenya that he leads (image from The Poverty Reduction, Equity and Growth Network [PEGnet] conference in Midrand, South Africa, 2–3 Sep 2010). As hunger spreads among more than 12 million people in the Horn of Africa, a study … Continue reading »

CRP2 / East Africa / PA / Pastoralism / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Vulnerability

Livestock ‘policy hubs’ in Africa’s Horn consolidate resources and sectors for poorest livestock keepers

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Livestock policies do not always benefit the poor. A Livestock Policy Initiative of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is ambitious to change that. ‘A key aspect of the initiative is to improve the voice of poorer livestock keepers and women as policies are developed. “We have teams in each country, including around 40 people … Continue reading »

Africa / Agriculture / CRP11 / Drylands / East Africa / Livestock Systems / Pastoralism / West Africa

What future of pastoralism in a changing climate?

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Pastoralism—a free-range livestock production system—is practised in all of Africa’s dryland regions, and in some communities it is the main source of food security and income. But will pastoralism survive in the changing climate? The August 2011 issue of Joto Afrika provides research findings, lessons learned and success stories from across Africa. Contents include: The future … Continue reading »

Climate Change / Drought / PA

‘One more reason to build the richer, resilient societies that can weather risk’–Time Magazine

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Artists from around the world have painted canvases illustrating the human impact of climate change in their countries. Sixteen of these canvases were exhibited at UN climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008 (artist: Ashley Cecil; image on Flickr by Piotr Fajfer / Oxfam International). Bryan Walsh delves into a rich discussion of the possible … Continue reading »

Capacity Strengthening / East Africa / PA / Tanzania / Women

East African women battling livestock diseases win prestigious AWARD Fellowships

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Lillian Wambua, a 2011 African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) fellowship winner working at ILRI, announced 18 August 2011 (photo credit: ILRI/ Njiru). ‘The African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (Award) yesterday named three East African women among 70 brilliant African researchers who have won its 2011 Award Fellowship. ‘. . . … Continue reading »