Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / ILRI / Opinion piece / Pastoralism / Policy / SLS / Vulnerability

Getting political about ensuring pastoral land rights

Participatory work for ensuring equitable use of, and rights to, pastoral rangelands (photo credit: Fiona Flintan). This article is written by ILRI rangeland governance specialist Fiona Flintan, who also serves as a technical coordinator for the Rangelands Initiative of the International Land Coalition (ILC). ‘It is easy, too easy, for scientists and others to shy away … Continue reading

Australia / Drought / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Event / ILRI / ILRIComms / Insurance / Kenya / Launch / PIL / UK

Of cows, camels and ‘charity insurance’ on Kenya’s Somali frontier–The Economist

Insuring animals who range with semi-nomadic herders across some of the harshest terrain on earth had defeated all previous efforts. Eventually he came across the work of a Kenyan economist, Andrew Mude of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), based in Nairobi. Mr Mude has developed an insurance model that uses satellite images to assess the impact of drought on the vegetation that camels, cows and goats need to survive. . . . Continue reading

Australia / Drought / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Event / ILRI / ILRIComms / Insurance / Kenya / Launch / Pastoralism / PIL / UK / USA

Shelter from the storm (literally): As remote herders get drought-related insurance payments, the heaven’s open

Livestock market in Wajir, where Kenya’s remote, never-before-insured livestock herders are getting their first protection from drought (photo credit: ILRI/Riccardo Gangale). ‘It was almost inevitable that the day chosen to make the first drought insurance payments in Wajir, in the arid north-east of Kenya, would be the same day the rains came. ‘Herders who lost sheep, cattle … Continue reading

Australia / Drought / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Event / ILRI / ILRIComms / Insurance / Kenya / Launch / Pastoralism / PIL / UK

Africa’s first Islamic insurance for herders

Hassan Bashir is an astute entrepreneur, developing Africa’s first livestock insurance scheme to make payouts compliant with Islamic law, by bringing together Muslim scholars and number-crunching agricultural experts using NASA weather satellites. Continue reading

Agriculture / Article / Climate Change / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Livelihoods / Livestock / Pastoralism / Vulnerability

Making visible the ‘invisible benefits’ of African pastoralism will spur national and pastoral economies both

Pastoral areas of Africa are experiencing a booming livestock export trade and inflow of investment that can be harnessed to grow national economies (photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann). A comprehensive economic evaluation of pastoral livestock’s often invisible livelihood benefits in Africa’s drylands could be key in maintaining and harnessing the increasing economic benefits for poor herders … Continue reading

CGIAR / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / Geodata / HUMIDTROPICS / ILRI / Intensification / Livestock Systems / Markets / NRM / Pastoralism / PIL / Policy / Project / Senegal / Vulnerability / West Africa

Africa’s dryland agricultural systems research: When East meets West (and when it doesn’t)

I have been working for nine months as an agricultural economist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) headquarters, in Nairobi, Kenya. I have come to realize that there are not enough bridges between West and East African agricultural research communities. Is it a problem of history? Different languages? Or perhaps inter-African communication links are … Continue reading

Drought / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Goats / ILRI / Launch / Pastoralism / Sheep / Small Ruminants / Southern Africa / Vulnerability

Drylands of the developing world: New livestock and crop research program launched

A herd of sheep and goats in northern Kenya (photo on Flickr by gordontour). The dry areas of the developing world occupy over 40% of the earth’s surface and are home to some 2.5 billion people. Many in these regions struggle to provide sufficient food for their growing populations and face a series of daunting … Continue reading