This week’s meeting of the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) includes a discussion on the livestock sector, and its overall ‘governance.’ The background paper for COAG argues that “the livestock sector plays a crucial role in the provision of global public goods and services. There are opportunities to alleviate many of the risks associated with … Continue reading
Author Archives: Peter Ballantyne (ILRI)
Livestock: the new key to preventing desertification?
How many times in the past years have you heard just how terrible livestock is to the Earth? Polluting the atmosphere, overgrazing the grasslands, and destroying ecosystems with their vast presence. But emerging voices are arguing this long standing belief that livestock are the bane of the worlds environmental problems, and instead reminding us that … Continue reading
Carbon-Friendly beef? Look to Africa, experts say
Studies in Africa reveal that raising livestock through pastoralism is ‘far more’ ecological than crop production Read more … (Solve Climate Blog) Continue reading
Poor livestock disease monitoring confines Kenyan herders to poverty
Livestock diseases have put Kenya under siege. This sorry state of affairs is a creation of a combination of factors that have complicated animal and disease surveillance in “an agricultural country” where herders, pastoralists, and ranches remain vulnerable, say experts. Read more … (Business Daily) Continue reading
Gambia gets vaccine support for neglected animal disease project
The Gambia has got support of vaccine for animal diseases that are often neglected. This was disclosed to TODAY Newspaper by the director of Animal Health and Production Service at Abuko, Dr. Kebba Daffeh while speaking with our reporter in an interview. According to Dr. Daffeh, The Gambia is one of the 14 countries that … Continue reading
Oromia Insurance Company to offer livestock insurance for Ethiopian farmers
One year old Oromia Insurance Company (OIC) is to offer livestock insurance for farmers – a new service for Ethiopia. The insurance company is also to introduce crop insurance for farmers selected from three farmer unions of Oromia Regional State. The Bureau of Oromia Cooperative Union has selected the companies based on agro-ecological practices. OIC … Continue reading
Livestock and poultry environmental learning center launched
This network is meant to be a learning community–a place where those that influence environmental decisions in animal agriculture can connect, share experiences, and collaborate. Read more … (LPELC) Continue reading
Should we eat less meat to increase food security?
The June 2010 issue of People and Science contains a ‘spat’ – a debate between Vicki Hird and John McDermott (of ILRI) on whether we should eat less meat to increase food security. Some flavour of the discussions: Hird: “Meat-hungry western consumers can still eat meat and dairy, but less of it and only from … Continue reading
SANBio livestock production network node
Through research, development and innovation, SANBio’s Livestock Production Network Node aims to improve livestock production and productivity by reducing the negative impact of vector borne diseases for enhancement of livelihoods and poverty reduction in at least five participating countries within the Southern African NEPAD Region. The Southern Africa Network for Biosciences (SANBio) is an intergovernmental … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Capacity Strengthening / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / Kenya / Livestock / Wildlife / Zoonotic Diseases
Kenya Wildlife Service hosts training on wildlife capture and sampling techniques for disease surveillance
Emerging and re-emerging diseases some of them pandemic in proportions, pose great threat to biodiversity conservation, public health and livestock industry. The African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) and other international agencies such as Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has started training on wildlife capture and sampling techniques for disease surveillance in collaboration … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 