Africa / Agriculture / Animal Production / Ethiopia / Extension / ILRI / Innovation Systems / IPMS / Livestock / Markets / Value Chains

Market-oriented agricultural development central to Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan

Speech by Edmalem Shetaye on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture at the opening of the IPMS experience-sharing workshop held at ILRI on 2 and 3 June 2011. Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a privilege and honor to welcome you all to this workshop entitles ‘Market-oriented smallholder Development in support of the … Continue reading

Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / IPMS / Markets / Value Chains

Future of Ethiopia’s smallholders lies in their capacity to adopt market-oriented, innovative practices

Speech by Edmond Wega on behalf of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) at the opening of the IPMS experience-sharing workshop held at ILRI on 2 and 3 June 2011. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: It’s an honor and a pleasure for me to provide introductory remarks for this workshop on Market Oriented Small-holder Development … Continue reading

CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Somalia / Vulnerability

New initiative to support agro-pastoralists in Africa’s Horn

Coastweek and Xinhua have published accounts of a new East African dryland food production initiative. The initiative will work towards securing the agro-pastoral livelihoods of poor livestock keepers in the region. ‘Scientists have launched a new initiative to help boost smallholder farmers’ resilience to drought in the Horn of Africa’s drylands. ‘The new initiative supported by … Continue reading

Burundi / Central Africa / East Africa / Ethiopia / Food Security / Kenya / Rwanda / Somalia / Uganda

As pump prices rise, so do the costs of basic foodstuffs across eastern and central Africa

Skyrocketing fuel and food prices are making Kenyans suffer; an undernourished child at the Kenya Coast drinks store-bought ‘maziwa lala’ (sour milk) (photo credit: ILRI/Elsworth). A policy brief published earlier this year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) reports the following. ‘Three years after the 2007–08 food crisis, the prices of basic food items … Continue reading

Climate Change / Drought / Ethiopia / Kenya / Pastoralism / Somalia / Uganda

Deathly drumbeat of another drought in Africa’s Horn

A cow felled by disease is skinned and left by the roadside in rural Ethiopia (picture credit: ILRI/Habtamu). ‘A drought in the Horn of Africa, triggered by the same La Niña episode that caused massive flooding in Australia last year, is plunging millions of pastoralists closer to food insecurity. ‘Parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and … 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

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

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

Africa / Agriculture / BecA / Biotechnology / Burundi / Capacity Strengthening / Directorate / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Rwanda / Tanzania / Uganda

‘Bio-Innovate Program is opportunity for Kenya and the region’–Shaukat Abdul Razak (NCST)

Shaukat Abdul Razak and Björn Häggmark cut a cake to celebrate the launch the Bio-Innovate Program on 16 March 2011; looking on is ILRI director general Carlos Seré (right) and other invited guests (photo credit: ILRI/Mungai). The Africa Science News Service reports on a recently launched Bio-Innovate Program at the InternationalLivestock Research Institute (ILRI). ‘. … Continue reading