The 2006 publication of Livestock’s Long Shadow by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has stirred considerable controversy. Here is the latest rebuttal, showing the fallacy of treating all the world’s animal production as the same kind of ‘beast’. ‘How long is your shadow? The answer, of course, depends, and differs whether you are standing … Continue reading
Author Archives: Susan MacMillan
Equitable as well as smart livestock breeding should marry local and scientific expertise
‘Genetic alteration on indigenous livestock breeds aimed at improving their productivity must incorporate pastoralists and small holder farmers at all levels. ‘The concern was raised by experts in the livestock sector who fear that unregulated cross breeding poses a formidable threat to the survival of local breeds and their habitat. ‘At the same time, custodians … Continue reading
Agriculture / BecA / Biotechnology / Burundi / Capacity Strengthening / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Rwanda / Tanzania / Uganda
Sweden funds innovations to drive crop production in 6 East African countries
Swedish aid and diplomatic colleagues at the official launch of the Bio-Innovate Program in March at ILRI, with Claes Kjellström, representative of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) at the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi (middle); Kikki Nordin, Regional Team Leader of SIDA’s Environment and Economic Development department (left); and Björn Häggmark, Deputy Head of Mission at … Continue reading
Animal Diseases / BecA / Diagnostics / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / ILRI / Kenya / Wildlife / Zoonotic Diseases
Forestalling the next plague: Building a first picture of all diseases afflicting people and animals in Africa
A project funded by the Wellcome Trust on zoonotic diseases was broadcast on an Australian television program called ‘Catalyst’ on 10 March 2011. The research described in the program is supported by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), where the project’s principal investigator, Eric Fevre, is hosted. The television program interviews Fevre and his colleagues … Continue reading
Our food system is failing half the people, overfed and underfed, on the planet
The world’s food system is failing half of the people on the planet. That’s the disturbing conclusion of the Global Farming & Futures Report, which synthesizes findings collected from more than 400 scientists and 34 countries. The British government’s Department for Business Innovation & Skills published the document in January. ‘Economic inequality among nations and … Continue reading
Biotechnology / East Africa / Kenya / Seeds
Small-scale Kenyan farmer argues for letting Kenyans grow GM crops
Gilbert arap Bor, a small-scale farmer and member of the Truth about Trade & Technology Global Farmer Network, makes an argument in the Daily Nation (Kenya) for letting farmers here grow genetically modified crops. ‘The season of Lent is upon us–the time of year when Christians around the world prepare for Easter through prayer, charity, and … Continue reading
BecA / Biotechnology / Burundi / Capacity Strengthening / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Rwanda / Tanzania / Uganda
Biosciences hub for East African agricultural innovations launched
Poster announcing the official launch of the Bi-Innovate Program at ILRI (photo credit: ILRI). SciDev.Dev this week reports on the official launch of a new biosciences hub operating in Nairobi, Kenya, and serving 6 countries in East Africa. ‘A hub to connect and fund East African agricultural researchers, and assist them in reaching out to … Continue reading
Animal Feeding / Europe / UK
Changing diets for cows, sheep could cut their emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas
A sheep grazing on grass in West Yorkshire (photo credit: Richard Carter’s Flickr Photostream). Reuters reports this week that research funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) shows that changing the diets of the country’s cows and sheep could reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming. ‘Feeding … Continue reading
Agriculture / Biotechnology / Burundi / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Rwanda / Tanzania / Uganda
Using East Africa’s bio-resources to increase and sustain the region’s food production
Seyoum Leta, manager of the Bio-Innovate Program (photo credit: ILRI/MacMillan). Last month, the Zecco (Trading) website published news of the official launch of a Bio-Innovate Program that will work on smart ways to use the region’s bio-resources to increase food production in sustainable ways in six countries in eastern Africa. Bio-Innovate is funded by the … Continue reading
Animal Breeding / Biotechnology / Canada / Environment / Fish / Food Security / North America / Pigs / Research
Eco-friendly GM pigs under development in Ontario
Min piglets at the experimental station at the Institute for Animal Science, in Beijing, China (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). Jeremy Cooke of the BBC reports in this video on a genetically modified pig, dubbed ‘Enviro-Pig’, being developed in Ontario that may be among the first of GM farm animals developed for human consumption. (Salmon genetically modified … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 