Pastoralists in parts of the semi-arid eastern region of Isiolo are abandoning their nomadic lifestyles in favour of farming to improve their food security and livelihoods. Successive droughts in arid and semi-arid parts of Kenya have led to livestock deaths, affected pastoralist nutrition and, in places, led to pastoralist drop-outs. Read more (IRIN: Humanitarian news … Continue reading
Author Archives: ILRI Communications
Livestock hurting the environment but improving lives in the developing world
Our planet’s meat and dairy consumption needs careful consideration, but blanket advocacy for policy that opposes the production of livestock is unfortunately a bit short-sighted. Despite the negative associations livestock has gained in recent years–reports of damage to the environment, a number of public health risks, and its role in obesity–new studies reveal that livestock … Continue reading
Nigeria: Farmer-pastoralists’ clash leaves 32 dead
A tense calm has been restored following clashes between pastoralists and farmers in central Nigeria’s Nasarawa State which left 32 people dead, scores of houses burned, and several farms destroyed, officials told IRIN. Violence erupted on 18 December when pastoralists attacked the farming village of Udeni Gida – two weeks after a clash with farmers … Continue reading
Climate Change / Environment / ILRI / Kenya / Livestock
Kenya: Rich nations should help the poor in climate change
We’ve discussed research indicating that eating a less meat-intensive diet could reduce our contribution to global climate change as well as increase life expectancy by reducing heart disease risk. This is based on the reality that farming practices in wealthy nations are resource intensive, producing green house gasses in any number of ways. The fatty … Continue reading
Animal Diseases / Australia / Diagnostics / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Knowledge and Information / Livestock
Animal disease knowledge repository for Australia
The Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network (ABIN) has approved the setting up of a repository of animal disease information to augment use of the Virtual Microscopy Laboratory Network used by veterinary pathologists. Participants using the repository will be able to: access, share and add to information in knowledge repositories for disease reference material, standards for testing, … Continue reading
Dairying / East Africa / ILRI / India / Kenya / Livestock / Markets / South Asia
Symposium develops policy to transform traditional milk markets in East Africa and Northeast India
Between 1 and 4 December 2009, some 25 dairy-sector stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Northeast India met at ILRI Nairobi for a South-South symposium to share lessons on traditional dairy development. Read more … (Livestock Markets Digest) Continue reading
Ethiopia launches a Joint Programme on children, food security and nutrition
Ethiopia concluded a one and a half day national inception workshop by launching a joint programme on children, food security and nutrition by Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Federal Ministry of Health, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNICEF, WFP, WHO and FAO with a generous contribution of 7 million USD received from the Spanish … Continue reading
COP 15: Vegetarian mafia descend on Copenhagen
THEY’RE waiting for unwitting passengers stepping off the train and heading for the climate talks – the vegetarian mafia thinking they can solve the world’s pollution problems by turning everyone off meat. Funny little people, often dressed as chooks or cows (or last night, a prawn) and are everywhere handing out show bags full of … Continue reading
Poor countries neglecting research
Climate change is likely to increase the already huge toll of illness and death from insect-borne disease in the developing world. More than three billion people are already estimated to be at risk from the combined impacts of bilharzia, dengue fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis and river blindness. Malaria alone causes about one to two million deaths … Continue reading
Further spread of Rhodesian sleeping sickness in Uganda likely due to livestock movements
The northwards spread of human Rhodesian sleeping sickness in Uganda is likely due to the movement of infected livestock, according to new findings from an interdisciplinary research group including members from the Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh; the Ministry of Health, Uganda; and the Universities of Oxford and Southampton. The current study, published … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 