Danielle Nierenberg from the Worldwatch Institute recently visited Ethiopia as part of a project evaluating environmentally sustainable ways of alleviating hunger and poverty, and tellong stories of hope and success in food production from all over Africa.

Her Ethiopia visit began at ILRI. She blogs …

Farmers confront more challenges than ever before: climate change, increasing malnutrition, urbanization, conflict, and gender inequity all make their jobs harder than ever before. But along with these challenges, there are enormous opportunities for creative innovations that can help lift farmers’ incomes, protect the environment, and increase food security.

One way is by making mixed crop-livestock systems better for farmers, animals, and the environment. In fact, raising animals may be the one of the best ways to cope with climate change. “It’s a good coping strategy to have legs,” said Shirley Tarawalia, Theme Director of the People, Livestock, and the Environment program at ILRI. Crops, unlike livestock, can’t get up and move around to where there’s more water.

Read more … [Nourishing the Planet Blog]