The ‘big bet’ on chickens for Africa

Posted on 16 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

The African Chicken Genetic Gains project is on a mission to bring ‘more productive chickens to African smallholders’. Led by ILRI, and backed by the deep pockets of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the African Chicken Genetic Gains project aims to improve the genetic makeup of African chickens. The initiative, which is initially being rolled out in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania, is part of what the Microsoft founder has called his ‘big bet’ on chickens, which also includes a promise to donate 100,000 of the birds to families and communities in the world’s poorest nations. . . . Continue reading →

A4NH / Aflatoxins / Agri-Health / Article / Disease Control / East Africa / Food Safety / FSZ / Human Health / ILRI / Kenya / Policy / Value Chains

Contamination problems in Nairobi’s food supply chains

Posted on 15 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

ILRI aflatoxin infographic, Nov 2013. ‘The rise of local agricultural industries (agro-industrialisation) has had both positive and negative effects on the economy. . . . ‘Prior to 2005, most studies were conducted after serious outbreaks of aflatoxin poisoning where several people died, especially in 2004. . . . ‘A 2006 study titled ‘‘Aflatoxin B1 and … Continue reading →

Animal Feeding / Article / ASSP / CGIAR / Crop residues / East Africa / Event report / Feeds / ILRI / LIVESTOCKFISH / Pigs / Project / Uganda

Sweet success: Sweetpotato (and sweet livestock feed) take the limelight today at Iowa’s World Food Prize ceremony

Posted on 13 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • 1 Comment

This project is integrating sweetpotato feed into small-scale pig production systems, demonstrating to Uganda’s smallholder farmers three benefits of sweetpotato silage: increased pig productivity, affordable costs and labour savings. ILRI’s role in this project is to better understand pig feeding practices in Uganda, to investigate options for making sweetpotato silage, and to assess the economic viability of sweetpotato silage as pig feed, including the willingness of Ugandan farmers to pay for the silage. Continue reading →

Article / Biodiversity / Data / East Africa / Environment / ILRI / Kenya / NRM / Pastoralism / Policy / Poverty / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Small Ruminants / Wildlife

‘Extreme declines’ in wildlife populations in Kenya over past 4 decades—New study

Posted on 7 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

There have been disturbing declines in wildlife populations in Kenya in the past three decades, a study released this week revealed. Continue reading →

Article / Award / CCAFS / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Interview / Kenya / Pastoralism / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Staff / Vulnerability

Economist, partners clinch USAID award for drought insurance

Posted on 6 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

A Cornell development economist and his partners in the USAID-funded BASIS Assets and Market Access Innovation Lab have won an international award for developing a form of livestock insurance that has already proved itself in pilot testing. Now that it is scaling up, the insurance could help hundreds of thousands of African herders stave off poverty in times of drought. Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Article / Breeds / Cattle / Indigenous Breeds / Intensification / Kenya / Policy / Poverty / Pro-Poor Livestock

Better livestock policies in Africa offer a pathway out of poverty

Posted on 5 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Boran cattle in Yabello, Ethiopia (photo credit: ILRI/ Camille Hanotte). By Thumbi Mwangi, Washington State University A majority of rural households in Africa keep different livestock species. But only a small proportion can afford to keep good quality livestock. This is mainly due to a combination of low government funding and the poor policies of external … Continue reading →

Article / Cattle / Climate Change / North America / Policy / USA

Burb by grassy burp, California plans to regulate cow belches to lower its greenhouse gas emissions

Posted on 3 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

California has a lot of dairy cows, and all that belching and farting and decomposing poop accounts for 5 percent of the state’s total greenhouse gas output. If you want radical emissions cuts, you gotta go for the belches. Continue reading →

Article / ASSP / Goats / ILRI / Intensification / Pakistan / Pro-Poor Livestock / Sheep / Small Ruminants / South Asia

Livestock are ‘the future of Pakistan’s smallholder farmers’—PARC chairman

Posted on 30 Sep 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

A flock of Makhi Cheeni goats near Hasilpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan (photo credit: ILRI/M Sajjad Khan). ‘Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Nadeem Amjad stated that livestock was the future of the country’s poor farmers with small lands. . . . ‘Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Taimur Talpur inaugurated the shed as chief … Continue reading →

ACGG / Africa / Animal Breeding / Article / Biodiversity / Breeds / Chickens / Ethiopia / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / Nigeria / Poultry / Tanzania

If Africa learnt to feed its chickens, it could feed its people—Calestous Juma

Posted on 22 Sep 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

‘Africa, which imports nearly 83% of the food it consumes, has a real chicken and egg problem. The continent is caught between pressure from imports in some countries and an inability to meet demand in others.’ Article by Calestous Juma republished from The Conversation. Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Feeding / Article / ASSP / Cattle / Chickens / Crop residues / Dairying / Drought / Food Security / Goats / ILRI / Insurance / Poultry / Resilience / Sheep / Small Ruminants / South Africa / Southern Africa / Zimbabwe

Farmers coping with on-going drought in southern Africa need better weather advice and insurance

Posted on 20 Sep 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

A new regional push, focused on promoting four key actions to adapt agriculture and curb growing hunger, could help, Ajayi said. The best ways to assist southern Africa’s farmers, agricultural experts said, are by increasing their access to insurance for crop failure and livestock deaths, and giving them better weather advice via mobile phone. Continue reading →

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