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

Drought / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Research

ILRI’s mobile-ICT based livestock insurance solution wins overall best innovation award at 2030 ICT Innovation Award ceremony

Eleven companies received a Vision 2030 ICT Innovation Award at a ceremony held in Diani as part of the Kenya ICT Board’s Connected Kenya Summit. The Kenya ICT Board and the Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat invited companies that have developed solutions that drive economic growth and social development as outlined in Kenya’s Vision 2030 … Continue reading

Central Africa / Disease Control / East Africa / ECF / Kenya / Southern Africa / Tanzania / Vaccines

ILRI mass-produced vaccine to protect livestock of poor herders against cancer-like disease

Field trials of a new vaccine batch for East Coast fever produced at the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) are nearing completion; a Maasai woman from northern Tanzania holds her calf that has just been immunized against East Coast fever (picture credit: ILRI/Mann). ‘Thousands of pastoralists could be saved from destitution thanks to a … Continue reading

Africa / Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / Environment / ILRI / Impact Assessment / Kenya / Livelihoods / Research

Impacts of the Arid Lands Resource Management Project on livelihoods and vulnerability in Kenya

This Research report by Nancy Johnson and Ayago Wambile on The impacts of the Arid Lands Resource Management Project (ALRMPII) on livelihoods and vulnerability in the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya was released on 04 April, 2011. There is an urgent need for new approaches and effective models for managing risk and promoting sustainable … Continue reading

Animal Breeding / East Africa / Genetics / Indigenous Breeds / Kenya / Uganda

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

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

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