Monthly Archives: April 2012

Biodiversity / East Africa / Environment / ILRI / Kenya / NRM / PA / Pastoralism / PLE

Lasst die Wildnis leben (Let the wilderness live)

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Kenya safari (photo on Flickr by Shawna Nelles). ‘Afrikas Bevölkerung wächst rasch. Das bedroht einzigartige Ökosysteme. Sind Löwe, Gnu & Co. noch zu retten? ‘Doch außerhalb der Schutzgebiete, und das ist der größte Teil der Mara-Region, verschwinden die großen Wildtiere beängstigend rasch. Besonders betroffen sind die Büffel, Warzenschweine und Wasserböcke, Elen-, Topi- und Kongoni-Antilopen, Gnus, … Continue reading »

CRP7 / Environment / NRM / PA / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock

‘Developing countries are where it’s at in reducing livestock’s ecological hoofprint’ – (promiscuous agricultural) geographer

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Visual capture of livestock talk by Andy Jarvis (CIAT and CCAFS), ‘The Elephant in the Room—Or Is It a Cow?’—to the Inter-Agency Donor Group (IADG) for livestock at the Work Bank in Washington DC, in Apr 2012 (figure credit: CIAT). Andy Jarvis, a senior scientist and biodiversity expert at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture … Continue reading »

Drought / Drylands / Event / Food security / Mali / Niger / PA / Pastoralism / Vulnerability / West Africa

Recurrent drought can encourage, not kill, pastoralism

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Pastoralists take their livestock to sell at a market in Moussoro, Bahr El Ghazal Province, in northern Chad. In 2012 countries across the Sahel region are once again facing a serious food crisis. This ecologically fragile region is becoming increasingly vulnerable to insufficient rainfall, and fluctuating animal and food prices that are affecting millions of pastoral … Continue reading »

Livestock

Royal Veterinary College launches new postgraduate certificate in intensive livestock health and production

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The Royal Veterinary College, of the University of London, is launching a Postgraduate Certificate in Intensive Livestock Health and Production, due to commence in September 2012. This is a new part-time blended, distance-learning course that will be of interest to those working within the agri-food sector and will promote the development of advanced level skills … Continue reading »

Agriculture / Climate Change / CRP7 / Directorate / ILRI / India / PA / South Asia / Southeast Asia / Thailand / Vietnam

Climate change expected to reduce Asia’s food production by as much as 50%

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Indonesian village devastated by flooding; climate change will bring about more severe floods and droughts (photo on Flickr by International Rivers). ‘As Asia’s monsoon season begins, leading climate specialists and agricultural scientists warn that rapid climate change and its potential to intensify droughts and floods could end Southeast Asia’s global dominance in rice production and … Continue reading »

Animal Breeding / Animal Feeding / China / Genetics / Intensification / PA / Pigs / Poultry / Trade / USA

Exporting American livestock genetics to China: Grain to follow?

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Min piglets at the experimental station at the Institute for Animal Science, in Beijing, China (photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann). America is breeding farm animals for China, Reuters and the New York Times report, to supply China with more meat. ‘. . . In a country where pork is a staple, the demand for a protein-rich … Continue reading »

Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / Food security / Kenya / PA / Pastoralism / Somalia / Sudan / Vulnerability / West Africa

FEWS NET says rainfall in Africa’s eastern Horn may be below normal again this year

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FEWS Net Estimated Food Security Conditions for Mar 2012 (map credit: USAID and Famine Early Warning System Network). Bloomberg News has reported a new report from the Famine Early Warning Systems network (FEWS NET) that East African rainfall ‘may be “significantly” below average in the Horn of Africa’s main growing season, potentially threatening a region … Continue reading »

Agriculture / Animal Production / Animal Products / Cattle / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / IPMS / Livestock / Markets / Project / Research

IPMS project updates shared with steering committee

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The Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS) project held its semi annual steering committee meeting on April 17, 2012 in Addis Ababa. Representatives from the Oromia, SNNP and Tigray bureau’s of agriculture/research; IPMS rural development officers; CIDA representatives; and IPMS headquarters staff attended. Iain Wright chaired the meeting. The main agenda of the day was … Continue reading »

Animal Production / Animal Products / Cattle / East Africa / Ethiopia / Film and video / IPMS / Livestock / MarketOpps / Markets / Value Chains

An innovation story: Livestock fattening in Metema, Ethiopia

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This innovation story narrates the experience of the Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS) project on livestock fattening in Ethiopia. The video documents how a 2005 alliance between the local government office of agriculture, the IPMS project, and local livestock farmers and traders in western Ethiopia took advantage of livestock market opportunities in neighbouring Sudan. … Continue reading »

Innovation Systems / Africa / Research / Agriculture / Books and chapters

Agricultural innovation platforms – reaching out to more stakeholders

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“By joining forces in innovation platforms, stakeholders can generate innovation by combining their indigenous knowledge, business interests and organisational skills” – Monty Jones of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa introduces a new book by the Royal Tropical Institute ‘Putting heads together: Agricultural Innovation platforms in practice.’ “This book is based on the premise … Continue reading »