The June issue of ‘Livestock Matter(s), explores a round-up of livestock development news, publications, presentations, images and upcoming events from ILRI and its partners. Download a print version – or sign up to get Livestock Matter(s) in your mailbox each month.
Corporate news
Entrepreneurs: Your livestock business is growing–but only in Africa and other developing regions
Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), gave a keynote presentation this week at a three-day Africa Livestock Conference and Exhibition (ALiCE2013). In 20 minutes, Smith made a powerful case for making significant investments in Africa’s livestock sector, which is growing rapidly.
On 10 Jun 2013, the Texas A & M University announced that Neville Clarke, former chair of the board of trustees of ILRI (1995–2001), has received an award for his nearly four decades of exemplary service to international agricultural and rural development, helping to reduce world poverty and food insecurity. Clarke received the 2013 Special Service Award from the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development recently at the Future Leader’s Forum in Washington, D.C.
Project news
Roots and tubers to the fore: How a Tanzanian crop and goat project is helping farmers
On 18-20 Jun 2013, ILRI’s Nairobi campus hosted partners in a crop and goat project that is helping Tanzanian farmers integrate their dairy goat production with growing root crops for improved food security in the country. The meeting reviewed research results from the two-year-old project. The project, by Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and the University of Alberta in Canada, ILRI and local partners in Tanzania, started in March 2011 and is funded by the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Canadian International Development Agency. Findings from this workshop guided preparation of a proposal to scale up the project’s interventions in the final phase of the project, which ends in August 2014.
Dairy farming in Uganda (photo credit: ILRI).
A new study on agricultural innovation systems in the East Africa Dairy Development project was published in the June 2013 issue of the journal Agricultural Systems. The study’s lead author is Catherine Kilelu, a PhD student at Wageningen University who was hosted at ILRI as a graduate fellow. According to the study, innovation platforms support co-evolution of innovation and can be considered sets of intermediaries. Also, feedback and learning platforms need to be better monitored and that agricultural innovation policies can be better tailored to co-evolution.
‘We can do it on our own now’ – the imGoats Inhassoro innovation platform holds its ninth meeting
On 13 June 2013, the imGoats Inhassoro innovation platform held its ninth meeting at Vulanjane, Inhassoro, Mozambique. The meeting discussed the potential for goat sales and the future of the innovation platform was discussed.
Asia Pacific Participatory Epidemiology Network Holds First Training Workshop
The Asia Pacific Participatory Epidemiology Network (APPEN) based at Chiang Mai University is holding its first Introductory Training for PE Practitioners. The course is divided into two 5-day sessions. The first session was held at Khon Kaen University from June 8 to 12. The course included 22 veterinary and public health participants from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and China. Participants were sponsored by the RESPOND Project and by CIRAD though the SEA-PREID Network. The first session included 2 days of field work on the epidemiology and control of Opisthorchis liver fluke disease in man associated with the consumption of raw fish. The second session will be heldat Chiang Mai University from July 8 to 12, 2013. PENAPH and ILRI are providing trainers to led the program.
ILRI in the media
Sweden has signed a 4-year (2012-2015) 40 million Swedish kronor agreement with the Bioscience eastern and central Africa – International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub for an ‘Innovative programmatic approach to climate change in support of BecA’s Mission: Climate-smart Brachiaria grasses for improving livestock production in East Africa’. The program will contribute to food and feed security, increased animal productivity and increased income generation for poverty reduction in East Africa through the introduction of climate-smart Brachiaria grasses and capacity building in improved tropical forage technology, natural resource management and adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
Representatives of national, regional and global organizations attended a Global Consultation in May 2013 at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Addis Ababa where they endorsed the CIARD movement and agreed on a new focus to support innovation in smallholder agriculture.
CGIAR news – updates from the research programs that ILRI works in
Cattle in the great Kenya drought of 2009 (photo credit: ILRI/Dorine Adhoch).
Findings from a new report from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), ‘Addressing uncertainty in adaptation planning for agriculture’, which was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences (PNAS), finds that the cloudy aspects of climate forecasts are no excuse for a paralysis in agriculture adaptation policies.
Of platforms and tables, cows and chillies: Scrutinizing numbers in Togo opens worlds of new ideas to explore
Jo Cadilhon, an agricultural economist with ILRI’s research program on Policy, Trade and Value Chains, recently spent four days in Lomé, Togo, facilitating a workshop for a project on ‘Resilience of smallholder agriculture through dairy and market gardening value chains’. In this blog post, he tells how the analysis of data during the workshop led to some new ideas to explore in research on value chains.
Prioritizing animal feeding interventions – TechFit tool takes shape
In May, feed specialists from ILRI, CIAT, ICARDA and partner institutes got together in Addis Ababa to further elaborate the TechFit tool that is designed to help people set priorities for feed interventions.
Uganda workshop kicks off project to assess the impact of African swine fever
On 13 May 2013, the “Assessing the Impact of African swine fever (ASF) in smallholder pig systems and the feasibility of potential interventions” project held a kick-off workshop in Kampala.
Vietnam hosts pioneer training course in One Health and EcoHealth
The first ever short course on One Health and EcoHealth in Vietnam – hosted by the Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER) at the Hanoi School of Public Health (HSPH) and ILRI – took place on 27-30 May 2013 in Hanoi.
Recent presentations
This month, we feature a presentation by Delia Grace at a Workshop: An Integrated Approach to Controlling Brucellosis in Africa, Addis Ababa, 29-31 January 2013
Recent ILRI publications
- ILRI Forage Genebank: 30 years 1983-2013
- An integrated approach to controlling brucellosis in Africa
- Reminding women’s contribution in livestock sector
- Valuation of cattle attributes in the Malian humid and sub-humid zones and implications for sustainable management of endemic ruminant livestock
- Quantitative trait loci for resistance to Haemonchus contortus artificial challenge in Red Maasai and Dorper sheep of East Africa
- Zoonosis emergence linked to agricultural intensification and environmental change
- The potential influence of social networks on the adoption of breeding strategies
- Improving the productivity and market success of Ethiopian farmers: Final report of the IPMS project, 2004–2012
Multimedia
Watch ILRI’s new 5-minute film, New approaches to chicken farming reduce poverty without adding to disease risks , the film describes a corollary ‘chicken boom’ in poor countries, with narration by ILRI veterinary epidemiologist Delia Grace.
ILRI under the lens
This month we feature photos of the African Livestock Conference and Exhibition (ALiCE 2013) held on June 26th – 29th 2013.
Muthoni Njiru receives ILRI sponsor’s plaque (photo credit: ILRI/Paul Karaimu).
Upcoming events
- July 15-20: 6th Africa Agriculture Science Week and Fara General Assembly, Accra, Ghana
- August 26-30: 64th Annual Meeting of the European Association For Animal Production, Nantes, France
- 15-19 September: 22nd International Grasslands Congress, Sydney, Australia
- 23-25 September: CGIAR Science Forum 2013 Nutrition and health outcomes: targets for agricultural research, Bonn, Germany
- 15-20 October: 11th World Conference of Animal Production, Beijing, China
- 4-8 November: ICT4ag: The digital springboard for inclusive agriculture, Kigali, Rwanda
Staff updates
In June, we welcomed the following new staff:
- Keith Child: Senior scientist-Impact Assessment, Livelihoods, gender, impact and innovation program
- Sita Ghimire: Scientist Plant Pathologist, BecA-ILRI Hub
- Monday Ahonsi: Program Coordinator, BecA-ILRI Hub
- Jochem Kumm: Bio-informatics research group leader, Animal bioscience program
- Barbara Szonyi:Post Doc Veterinary Epidemiologist, Food safety and zoonoses program
- Robert Ngeno: Analytical Chemist -BecA-ILRI Hub
- Leah Kago: Research Technician – BecA-ILRI Hub
- Eric Macharia: Data Analyst ReSaKKS, Policy, trade and value chains program
- Simon Patita: Program Management Officer, Livelihoods, gender, impact and innovation program
- Assenath Kabugi: Program Management Officer, Livestock systems and the environment program
- Mesfin Tefera: Zonal Coordinator, LIVES project
- Rakeb Habte: ICT Customer Services Helpdesk Coordinator/Administrator
- Birhanu Biazin: Regional Coordinator – LIVES project
We said farewell to:
- John Amoti: Directorate
- Negussie Abraham: Corporate Services
- Wilfred Gitaari: Corporate Services
- Esayas Wake: Corporate Services
- Arage Melaku: Corporate Services
- Wolde Wodaje: Corporate Services
- Tesfaye Dejene: Corporate Services
- Luelseged Ayalew: Corporate Services
- Gezahegn Bogale: Corporate Services
- Mekonen Ajebe: Corporate Services
- Mulugeta Regassa: Corporate Services
- Sahlu Beyene: Corporate Services
- Mamushet Aweke: Corporate Services
- Abdulkadir Mohammed: Corporate Services
- Wondwossen Shewangizaw: Corporate Services
