As world population reaches 7 billion at the end of 2011, a leader in the Economist‘s special edition ‘The World in 2011’ reminds us not to panic. Here’s why. ‘Although the population looks as if it is growing as fast as ever, or faster . . . Malthusian fears are overblown: the real story is that … Continue reading
Author Archives: Susan MacMillan
Top 100 (‘future of agriculture’) questions
The wizard (picture credit: Sean McGrath’s Photostream). In the (reflective/list-obsessed) spirit of the end-of-year/end-of-decade season, and in case you missed it last November, the ‘top 100’ questions on the future of global agriculture was whittled down from a total of 618 ‘key questions’ over the course of a year by a group of 55 experts … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Asia / Biodiversity / Environment / Film and video / Ghana / Indigenous Breeds / Livelihoods / NRM / Southeast Asia / Trade / Vietnam / West Africa / WLE
Here be dragons–and lions: Agricultural growth and development in Asia and Africa
Dragon head detail on a gate to the walled Citadel of Hué, the former, imperial, capital of Viet Nam from the 17th to 19th centuries and national capital until 1945. Located in the middle of the country along the Perfume River, Hué’s Citadel, like Beijing’s Forbidden City, housed only emperors and their concubines and closest … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Feeding / Fodder / Markets / Trade
AGRA to help connect Africa’s small-scale farmers to markets
A boy works at peeling a mountain of cassava in Nigeria (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). The Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa and its partners are committing US$42 million to a markets program that will connect smallholder farmers to local, regional, and international markets, this press release reports. The markets’ program is currently overseeing US$14 … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Climate Change / Directorate / ILRI
How Africa can adapt to climate change – ILRI Director General Carlos Seré interviewed on VOA
In this short (4 minutes 30 seconds) audio interview, the director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Carlos Seré, speaks on why Africa must, and how it can, adapt to climate change. Listen to the podcast Seré says Africa must learn to adapt to shorter growing seasons following findings of a new ILRI study … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / CCAFS / Climate Change / Food Security / ILRI
‘Africa will be hardest hit by climate change’–experts
Farmer Celeste Sitoe tends to her maize and chickens on her subsistence farm in Lhate Village, Chokwe, Mozambique (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). ‘Africa will be amongst the hardest hit regions of the world as the climate heats up, threatening the continent’s food security, experts agree. If global temperatures rise 2.0 degrees C, southern Africa will warm … Continue reading
Food prices likely to rise with temperatures
‘If average global temperatures keep rising prices for vital food resources could rise by more than 130 percent, an analysis released in Mexico finds. . . . ‘A study by the International Livestock Research Institute concludes that if temperatures continue to rise, maize prices could increase by 131 percent within the next 40 years. ‘Philip … Continue reading
Africa / Climate Change / ILRI
‘We’re heading for a four-degree rise in temperature by end century’–ILRI systems analyst Philip Thornton
ARDD branding at Agriculture and Rural Development Day 2010, a side event held on 4 December 2010 at the COP16 United Nations climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico (photo credit: Neil Palmer/CIAT). ‘Taking steps to control global temperatures is a key issue at the UN talks on climate change in Cancun. Within the next four … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Asia / CCAFS / Climate Change / East Africa / South Asia / West Africa
Researchers worldwide unite in multi-million dollar initiative to fight climate change in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Inger Andersen, chair of the Fund Council of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and vice president of Sustainable Development at the World Bank during her opening speech at Agriculture and Rural Development Day, a side event at the United Nations climate change conference (COP16), being held in Cancún, Mexico (photo credit: Neil … Continue reading
Africa / Drought / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / ILRI / Kenya / Pastoralism
Droughts hitting Kenya more frequently–ILRI’s Andrew Mude
The drylands of Marsabit District, in northern Kenya (photo credit: ILRI/Mude). ‘With drought striking Kenya every two years, survival becomes an ever more violent occupation. ‘Qampa Re Liban (61), kicks the red soil, hurling up a cloud of dust with the rubber plimsoll on his right foot. ‘“No rain,” he says, leaning on an Ulle … Continue reading
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