Category Archives: Biotechnology

Toughening animal agriculture for worse climate with ‘preventive breeding’–Scientific American
A4NH / Animal Breeding / Article / Biotechnology / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Disease Control / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene

Toughening animal agriculture for worse climate with ‘preventive breeding’–Scientific American

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Scientists from . . . CGIAR . . . are setting up a “preemptive breeding” program to develop livestock with resistance to potential widespread outbreaks of currently localized diseases to help reduce some of the losses that would occur. CGIAR scientists presented their preemptive breeding strategy and new evidence of threats from climate change to the science advisory body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on June 4. Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Biotechnology / Directorate / Disease Control / ECF / ILRI / ILRIComms / ILVAC / LIVESTOCKFISH / Opinion piece / USA / Vaccines

Vaccine cliff-hanger (‘parasite page-turner’) on Gates’ blog

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation blog, Impatient Optimists, is running a piece about ‘an unusual story . . . unfolding in Africa, where the battle against a cattle-killing disease called East Coast fever is quickly becoming a cliff-hanger.’ The article is written by Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Article / Biotechnology / Climate Change / Disease Control / Genetics / ILRIComms

The holy grail in agricultural genetics is within sight: But will it make a difference to feeding the hungry?

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Work in the genetic resources program at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (photo on Flickr by CIAT/Neil Palmer). Are promising genetically modified food crops doomed to stay in greenhouses? What about crops whose bits (of bits) of their genomes have been ‘precision edited’ with the help of new genome engineering tools (Talens and Crispr) … Continue reading →

Biotechnology / Cattle / Disease Control / East Africa / ILRI / ILRIComms / Kenya / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Trypanosomiasis

Disease-resistant cattle for Africa

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Boran cattle grazing at Kapiti Ranch, in Kenya (photo credit: ILRI). ‘Plans are under way to develop a cow that is resistant to trypanosomiasis at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). ‘The disease is known as nagana in animals and sleeping sickness in human beings. ‘“Since animals carry parasites that cause trypanosomiasis, a resistant cow … Continue reading →

Animal Breeding / Biotechnology / Genetics

Genetics, genomics and gene modification: What does the future of animal production hold?

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Professor David Hume of The Roslin Institute recently reflected on the challenge to meet global demand for animal products whilst at the same time reducing the overall environmental impact. Writing on the Global Food Security blog, he explains how productivity in the livestock sector has massively increased, ‘through a combination of genetic improvement and better … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Breeding / Biotechnology / Film and video / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Interview / LiveGene

Saving the world’s genetic wealth: Scientists in Kenya propose plans for first livestock genebank

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The indigenous, worm-resistant (and non-wool-producing) red Maasai sheep of East Africa (photo credit: ILRI). SciDevNet reports on a ‘livestock genebank’ that’s needed to help conserve breeds and populations of farm animals, especially the wealth of diversity remaining in Africa and other developing regions, that are fast being eroded through cross-breeding and importations of exotic stock. … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Biotechnology / CGIAR / Food Security / Livelihoods / Nutrition / Policy / Presentation / Research / USA

‘Nothing improves an economy as efficiently as agriculture’–Bill Gates to US Senate

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Bill Gates visits a site of the East African Dairy Development project, which is funded by his foundation; researchers based in Nairobi at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a CGIAR centre, provide technical and other backstopping to this project, which is led by Heifer International (USA) (photo on Flickr by EADD). ‘Investing in agriculture … Continue reading →

Biotechnology / Environment / Food Security / Genetics / Opinion piece / Policy / USA

Greening our meat: A vegan conservationist speaks out, and considerately, on controversial food issues

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Vegan and conservationist Mark Tercek, president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy, the largest environmental non-profit organization in the Americas, had an interesting response this week to a question about eating meat and genetically modified foods—two of the most durable of the hot ‘foodie’ topics of the North, with vegetarian and carnivore consumers, organic and high-tech … Continue reading →

Biotechnology / East Africa / Food Security / Intensification / Kenya / Opinion piece / Policy

Kenya’s newly elected government advised to be bullish on agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified foods

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Cynthia Onzere, a staff member in the animal biotechnology laboratories of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi, Kenya (photo credit: ILRI/Evelyn Katingi). ‘A newly elected government provides a country with a rare opportunity for a fresh start—and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s nomination this week of Felix Kiptarus Kosgey to become Kenya’s next Cabinet Secretary … Continue reading →