At first glance, the Riswick farm is just another modern agricultural facility: in the middle of broad cultivated fields stand recently built barns, similar to so many other farms across Europe. But Riswick is a model experimental farm in the small town of Kleve, located 460 kilometres southwest of Berlin and a few kilometres from … Continue reading
Author Archives: Peter Ballantyne (ILRI)
Barriers to market entry, poor livestock producers and public policy
The main aim of this study is to provide an analytical framework for the assessment of barriers to market access for poor livestock producers that can be used for the development of public policy that works to the advantage of those poor producers that attempt to enter specific product markets. The paper proceeds to demonstrate … Continue reading
Livestock on the line and other cows’ stories
New International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) staff member Pier Paolo Ficarelli authored a short article in a recent issue of the magazine ‘Rural 21.’ He argues: Livestock is on the line, attacked by climatologists, environmentalists, dieticians, disease controllers, children’s feelings for animals and, last but not least, international development cooperation agencies. Now, as 12,000 years … Continue reading
Sleeping sickness: Treating cattle to protect people
Every year, as many as 60,000 people in Africa die of sleeping sickness, a disease that passes between and among humans and animals through the bite of tsetse flies. Livestock such as cattle act as a reservoir for the disease, so treating cattle to cure them, and preventing re-infection through insecticide spraying, helps to reduce … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Feeding / Crop residues / Crop-Livestock / East Africa / Ethiopia / Fodder / ILRI / Livestock
Innovative partnerships boost livestock-maize systems in eastern Africa
In recent times, in eastern Africa, arable land has become more scarce and livestock production has gained more ground, making maize more important than ever—both as a source of food and feed—in highly intensified crop-livestock farming systems. In an innovative partnership, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) … Continue reading
Climate Change / Egypt / Environment / Ethiopia / NRM / Sudan / Uganda / Water / WLE
How climate change is shrinking the river Nile
The water level of the river Nile – crucial to the economy in many parts of Uganda, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia – is dropping. Film-maker Andrew Johnstone follows the course of the Nile to discover how climate change is already affecting the river’s farming communities. View the video … (The Guardian) Continue reading
Accessibility mapping and rural poverty in the Horn of Africa
This working paper has been prepared jointly for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Livestock Policy Initiative (IGAD LPI) and the Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Initiative (PPLPI). The work described in this paper contributes towards making available standardised spatial data to help analyse policy options, to target policy interventions and to evaluate their impact – contributing to … Continue reading
Asia / India / Livestock / Markets / Philippines / South Asia / Southeast Asia / Thailand / Vietnam
Contract farming to integrate rural smallholders in markets for livestock products
This report assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of contract farming as an institution for integrating rural smallholders in markets for livestock products, using detailed reviews of particular case studies on contract farming in India, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Read more … (Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Initiative) Continue reading
The livestock challenge
A recent issue of the magazine ‘Rural 21’ is dedicated to livestock and development. Articles include: The livestock challenge Livestock and the MDGs (ILRI paper) Making livestock policy pro-poor Livestock and climate change (ILRI paper) One World, One Health? The role of livestock in African agriculture Continue reading
Asia / ILRI / Livestock / Markets / Pigs / Southeast Asia / Value Chains / Vietnam
Vietnam: Taking a pig to market
The rapid growth in demand for pork in Vietnam represents an opportunity for smallholders to improve their incomes. But limited access to improved breeds, inputs, veterinary services and markets has constrained smallholders from benefiting fully from market opportunities presented by this rising demand. Recent pronouncements on government policy have also favoured the development of larger-scale, … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 