Category Archives: Indigenous Breeds

Under animal genetic resources, we work on priority setting for conservation, appropriate methodologies of conservation, reproductive technologies for fast deployment of improved genotypes, and appropriate breeding approaches for smallholder systems.

Agriculture / Capacity Strengthening / CRP37 / Gambia / Guinea / Indigenous Breeds / Innovation Systems / Livestock / Mali / Senegal / West Africa

Innovation platform facilitation and assessment the focus of guidelines from ILRI

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A manual by Pamela Pali and Kees Swaans on ‘Guidelines for innovation platforms: Facilitation, monitoring and evaluation’ was recently published by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Innovation platforms have recently gained ground as a mechanism to help stimulate and support multi stakeholder collaboration in agricultural research for development. Generally, they are a mechanism to enhance communication … Continue reading »

Article / Biotech / Genetics / Indigenous Breeds / PA / USA

Of mice (pupfish) and men: Existential matters rising in genetic rescues of endangered species

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Bio-repository of livestock genetic material at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) (photo credit: ILRI/Susan MacMillan). WIRED Magazine recently published an interesting article, ‘Attack of the mutant pupfish’, on some existential matters rising in attempts to make genetic rescues of endangered species. The author explores an interesting case study of the conflicting stands/approaches of animal … Continue reading »

Animal Breeding / Biodiversity / Film and video / Indigenous Breeds / Launch / PA / Women

Women are the (invisible) guardians of livestock diversity–New FAO study

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Ethiopian woman churning butter the traditional way (photo credit: ILRI/Apollo Habtamu). A new study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations argues that to succeed, livestock breed conservation efforts must empower women. ‘Women livestock keepers worldwide must be recognized as the major actors in efforts to arrest the decline of indigenous breeds, … Continue reading »

Animal Breeding / Biotech / Biotechnology / East Africa / Event / Film and video / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Interview / Kenya / PA / Staff

Kenyan Bridgit Muasa on cross-breeding ‘supercows’ for Africa

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Watch ‘The Importance of Livestock Production in Kenya’, a short (3:12) filmed interview by FarmingFirst at Rio+20 of 2010 AWARD Fellow Bridgit Muasa, a Kenyan livestock breeding specialist mentored by ILRI scientist Karen Marshall. Bridgit Muasa, from Kenya, is a veterinary officer with the Kenya Ministry of Livestock Development. She has been mentored in the African … Continue reading »

Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / BecA / Biodiversity / Biotech / Disease Control / East Africa / Event / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Kenya / PA / Poultry / Vaccines / Women

Small livestock, big impact

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Kenyan geneticist and new PhD Sheila Ommeh (right) works at the Biosciences eastern and central Africa Hub (BecA Hub) and ILRI’s animal health laboratories in Nairobi, Kenya, studying Africa’s native chicken breeds (photo credit: ILRI/Susan MacMillan). ‘Sheila Ommeh, a poultry geneticist at the International Livestock Research Centre in Nairobi, hopes to introduce a disease-resistant chicken … Continue reading »

Women / Indigenous Breeds / Genetics / Biodiversity / Capacity Strengthening / Africa / ILRI / PA / Biotech / BecA / Kenya / Event / Opinion piece / Poultry

Changing the face of agriculture in Africa–one (emerging woman) leader at a time

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CGIAR AWARD Fellow Sheila Ommeh, working at ILRI-BecA, gives a presentation on the importance of conserving and better using Africa’s native chicken breeds for World Bank vice president Rachel Kyte on 2 Feb 2012 at the World Agroforestry Centre (photo credit: ILRI/Susan MacMillan). The Huffington Post this week carries a blog by Sir Gordon Conway, professor of … Continue reading »

Africa / Animal Breeding / Asia / Biodiversity / Biotech / Capacity Strengthening / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Livestock / Report / Research

Building capacities in animal genetic resources – a ‘training of trainers’ approach

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Since 1999, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)  has partnered with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) to provide capacity building on the sustainable use of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR). This report by Julie Ojango, Birgitta Malmfors, Okeyo Mwai, and Jan Philipsson on Training the trainers – An innovative and successful model for capacity building in animal … Continue reading »

Africa / Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Biodiversity / Biotech / Cattle / Gambia / Goats / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Livestock / Project / Report / Research / Sheep / Small Ruminants / West Africa

The Gambia’s hardy native ruminant livestock surveyed in bid to improve their conservation and productivity

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Although livestock play a central role in rural development in West Africa, traditional livestock systems have high death rates, low reproductive rates and low offtake rates. Furthermore, the presence of trypanosome-infected tsetse flies in the sub-humid and humid areas hurts the potential for livestock production. The region’s endemic ruminant livestock, however, are highly adapted to … Continue reading »

Africa / Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Biotech / Disease Control / East Africa / Epidemiology / Ethiopia / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Livestock / Poultry / Project / Research

Tackling poultry diseases in Ethiopia

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Developing countries such as Ethiopia have many indigenous chicken varieties which are well adapted to local environments as they are excellent foragers, better able to avoid predator attacks and demonstrate better immunity to common diseases. However, due to relatively low genetic potential and poor levels of husbandry, most of these indigenous chicken breeds grow slowly … Continue reading »