SciDevNet this week carries a dairy genetics story. ‘Dairy farmers in East Africa could soon benefit from superior, affordable cattle breeds through a US$1 million research project. ‘The Dairy Genetics East Africa (DGEA) initiative aims to help smallholders take full advantage of the region’s booming dairy sector and improve their incomes by giving them access … Continue reading
Now men may be able to make babies without women, through a technology that could for the first time allow same sex couples to have their own genetic children. In a technology developed to help in preserving endangered species and improving livestock breeds, scientists have, for the first time, developed an offspring from two males. … Continue reading
The objective of the Funding Strategy is to enhance the availability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of the provision of substantial and additional financial resources, and to strengthen international cooperation to support and complement the efforts of developing countries and countries with economies in transition in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for Animal … Continue reading
Animal genetic resources for food and agriculture comprise an essential component of the biological basis for world food security. Hundreds of millions of poor rural people keep livestock and often rely on their animals to provide multiple products and services. In harsh environments where crops will not flourish, livestock keeping is often the main or … Continue reading
Cattle and other livestock being trekked north in a great annual transhumance that takes place during the cropping season in Niger (photo by ILRI/Mann). Over at Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog, Luigi Guarino has this to say about a new paper in Evolutionary Anthropology summarizing the history of domestic cattle, based on the latest molecular marker data. … Continue reading
A Kenyan woman visits an exhibit on the importance of conserving Africa’s native livestock and forage resources. The livestock exhibit, along with other exhibits on the importance of conserving Africa’s food crop resources, was part of an event held in Nairobi at the National Museum to celebrate International Biodiversity Day on 22 May 2010. (Photo … Continue reading
The only place to see an aurochs in nature these days? A cave painting. The enormous wild cattle that once roamed the European plains have been extinct since 1627, when the last survivor died in a Polish nature reserve. But this could soon change thanks to the work of European preservationists who are hoping they … Continue reading
‘African livestock breeds have successfully adapted to many diseases and climatic changes ‘The genetically diverse and “exquisitely well adapted” traits of Africa’s livestock should be better harnessed to meet the continent’s needs. ‘Seventy per cent of Africa’s rural poor keep livestock and 200 million people depend on the animals for their livelihoods. ‘African livestock breeds … Continue reading
‘Die genetische Vielfalt von afrikanischem Vieh muss unbedingt und raschest in Bio-Banken gespeichert werden. ‘Das fordern Forscher in einem Artikel im Wissenschaftsmagazin Science. “Die in Afrika vorhandenen nativen Zuchten haben sich den zum Teil sehr schwierigen Lebensbedingungen gut anpassen können”, so Studien Co-Autor Olivier Hanotte, Professor für Genetik an der University of Nottingham im pressetext-Interview. … Continue reading
What happens here in Kenya could change the way the world views genetically modified food. Whether it really makes a positive difference in the lives of Africans remains to be seen. Why is Kenya key? Read more… (Pulitzer Gateway) Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 