‘Genomic time travel’ for better African cattle—New paper describes a ‘rich mosaic of traits’ and an ‘evolutionary jolt’
Africa / Animal Breeding / Biodiversity / Breeds / Cattle / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Interview / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKCRP / News clipping / Pro-Poor Livestock / Resilience / Science paper

‘Genomic time travel’ for better African cattle—New paper describes a ‘rich mosaic of traits’ and an ‘evolutionary jolt’

‘Scientists in Nairobi have discovered a new set of genetic markers in African cattle that signal beneficial characteristics, with a view to harnessing them for future generations.’—Nature Genetics Continue reading

Disease outbreaks linked to degraded ecosystems: A problem ALL of us are driving and ALL of us need to solve
Agri-Health / Article / Biodiversity / COVID19 / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Environment / Food Security / Human Health / Intensification / Policy / Wildlife / Zoonotic Diseases

Disease outbreaks linked to degraded ecosystems: A problem ALL of us are driving and ALL of us need to solve

While the world’s attention is focused on controlling COVID-19, evidence points at the biodiversity crisis as a leading factor in its emergence. At first glance, the two issues might seem unrelated, but disease outbreaks and degraded ecosystems are deeply connected. Continue reading

Deadline for submitting abstracts for the Joint International Grassland/Rangeland Congress extended to 23 Dec 2019
Animal Feeding / Animal Health / Animal Production / Biodiversity / Communications / Directorate / Event / ILRI / Kenya / Pastoralism / Rangelands / SLS

Deadline for submitting abstracts for the Joint International Grassland/Rangeland Congress extended to 23 Dec 2019

The deadline for submissions for papers and posters for the Joint International Grassland and International Rangeland Congress, to be held 24–30 Oct 2020, in Nairobi, Kenya, has been extended to 23rd December 2019. Submit your abstracts for posters and oral presentations and proposals for concurrent panel sessions through the congress website. The next Joint International … Continue reading

One-size-fits-all ‘livestock less’ measures will not serve some one billion smallholder livestock farmers and herders
Advocacy / Biodiversity / Communications / Crop-Livestock / Environment / Food Security / Nutrition / Opinion piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock

One-size-fits-all ‘livestock less’ measures will not serve some one billion smallholder livestock farmers and herders

Once again, the debate on sustainable diets and in particular on (not) eating animal-derived products is resurfacing in the media, as illustrated most recently by an article in The Guardian. The paper reported on a study by J. Poore and T. Nemecek entitled ‘Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers’, published in the latest edition of Science magazine. Continue reading

A better way for vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters and livestock herders alike—By ecologist Ian Scoones
Advocacy / Africa / Asia / Biodiversity / Consumption / Drylands / Latin America / Opinion piece / Pastoralism / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Vulnerability

A better way for vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters and livestock herders alike—By ecologist Ian Scoones

Agricultural ecologist Ian Scoones has some important and thoughtful things to say about the science and media publications promoting the recent ‘vegan craze’ in rich countries and the impacts of those publications on millions of livestock herders in poor countries. Continue reading

Mobile pastoralism—A 10,000-year-old practice still robust, if threatened, in the Mediterranean today
Biodiversity / Cattle / Climate Change / Environment / Europe / Goats / Pastoralism / Policy / Rangelands / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Mobile pastoralism—A 10,000-year-old practice still robust, if threatened, in the Mediterranean today

Mobile Pastoralism in the Mediterranean: Arguments and evidence for policy reform and its role in combating climate change presents over 100 arguments detailing the benefits of mobile pastoralism to biodiversity, carbon storage, wildfire prevention, climate change, food security and quality, traditional ecological knowledge, rural economies, tourism—to name a few. Continue reading

A chicken in every pot? New research makes the poultry case for food and nutritional security
Animal Products / Biodiversity / Breeds / Chickens / Consumption / Food Security / Gender / Indigenous Breeds / Nutrition / Pro-Poor Livestock / Science paper / Women

A chicken in every pot? New research makes the poultry case for food and nutritional security

A review paper just published online tells us more than (we might have thought) we’d like to know about how poultry production, conducted on small scales and in poor settings, affects food security. The review appears in Global Food Security (available online 2 May 2017). Continue reading

Appolinaire Djikeng, of BecA-ILRI Hub, appointed director of leading tropical livestock centre
Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Biodiversity / Breeds / Disease Control / Genetics / ILRI / Kenya / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKCRP / Pro-Poor Livestock / Staff / UK

Appolinaire Djikeng, of BecA-ILRI Hub, appointed director of leading tropical livestock centre

Appolinaire Djikeng has been appointed director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, a partnership between the University of Edinburgh, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and ILRI. Continue reading