First insurance for pastoralist herders in Kenya now available in Isiolo and Wajir

Posted on 7 Nov 2013 by Susan MacMillan • 2 Comments

Goat herds return home at sunset in northern Kenya (photo credit: USAID/Donatella Lorch). ‘[Hussein] Ahmed, a pastoralist in Marsabit district in arid and semi-arid northern Kenya, lost all his animals in 2011 during one of the worst droughts in the region for over 60 years. . . . “Before that [I lost my animals] to cattle rustlers … Continue reading →

Biotechnology / Cattle / Disease Control / East Africa / ILRI / ILRIComms / Kenya / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Trypanosomiasis

Disease-resistant cattle for Africa

Posted on 30 Oct 2013 by Susan MacMillan • 1 Comment

Boran cattle grazing at Kapiti Ranch, in Kenya (photo credit: ILRI). ‘Plans are under way to develop a cow that is resistant to trypanosomiasis at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). ‘The disease is known as nagana in animals and sleeping sickness in human beings. ‘“Since animals carry parasites that cause trypanosomiasis, a resistant cow … Continue reading →

Directorate / Film and video / Food Security / ILRI / ILRIComms / LIVESTOCKFISH / Nutrition / Policy / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock

Three short strategic films from livestock institute chart ways forward for ‘better lives through livestock’

Posted on 23 Oct 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

‘This video from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), features ILRI director general Jimmy Smith talking on the role of livestock in the global development agenda. ‘The 13 minute film points out that 4 of the top 5 agricultural commodities by value are livestock, and that in Africa, 4 of the top 10 agricultural commodities are … Continue reading →

A4NH / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / FSZ / ILRI / ILRIComms / RVF / South Sudan / Zoonotic Diseases

News media correction requested regarding recent misreport of Rift Valley fever outbreak

Posted on 18 Oct 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

On 16 Oct 2013, a news release titled Outbreak of rift valley fever disease reported in RSS reported that there is an outbreak of Rift Valley fever in South Sudan. This is inaccurate. There is no outbreak of Rift Valley fever in South Sudan that we know of. Those quoted in the news release were participants … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Environment / Event / Food Security / ILRI / ILRIComms / Opinion piece / Pro-Poor Livestock

World Food Day: On the central, enduring (and other) roles of smallholders in feeding the world (in 12 tweets/images)

Posted on 16 Oct 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

We’re celebrating this World Food Day (#WFD2013) journalist Mark Bittman in a New York Times opinion piece, How to Feed the World (14 Oct 2013), on the central and enduring value of smallholder farming in feeding the world sustainably. Read the whole article. It’s very good. We’ve added some of our favourite artworks, all (kindly) made … Continue reading →

ILRI / ILRIComms / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Roundup

Livestock Matter(s): ILRI news ’roundup’ September 2013

Posted on 2 Oct 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

This September 2013 issue of ‘Livestock Matter(s)’ presents a round-up of livestock development news, publications, presentations, images and upcoming events from ILRI and its partners. Download a print version – or sign up to get Livestock Matter(s) in your mailbox each month. Corporate news Sustainable intensification of agriculture in Africa: The case for mixed crop-livestock farming On 19 September 2013, … Continue reading →

Award / CCAFS / Central Asia / China / Climate Change / Environment / Germany / ILRI / ILRIComms / Sheep / SLS / Staff

Klaus Butterbach-Bahl and ecosystems-climate research team win Stifterverband Science Award–Schrödinger Prize

Posted on 1 Oct 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Sheep graze pasture in Inner Mongolia; a long-term research study shows that large-area grazing on steppes actually reduces, rather than increases, nitrous oxide emissions into the atmosphere (photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann). Five ecosystems-climate researchers, including Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), have been honoured for outstanding interdisciplinary research on nitrous oxide emissions. Butterbach-Bahl … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Feeding / Colombia / Environment / Forages / ILRIComms / Latin America / LIVESTOCKFISH / Project

Making grass greener: CIAT breeds tropical pasture that suppresses greenhouse gas emissions

Posted on 28 Sep 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Guillermo Sotelo of CIAT’s entomology team, working with brachiaria grass in a greenhouse at the institution’s headquarters in Colombia (picture credit: CIAT/Neil Palmer). ‘. . . On 13 September, researchers announced that they have bred a tropical pasture grass that can significantly suppress greenhouse-gas emissions. The team, from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) … Continue reading →

Agriculture / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / East Africa / Environment / Geodata / ILRI / ILRIComms / Interview / Kenya / SLS

Greenhouse gases produced by Kenyan farmers: Project to measure village emission levels

Posted on 18 Sep 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Typical smallholder’s farm in Busia, in western Kenya, where farmers mix crop growing with livestock raising (photo credit: ILRI/Pye-Smith). A team of scientists is collecting information on the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by smallholder farmers. Scientists from CGIAR centres under the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) said the project’s key … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Production / Australia / Directorate / Food Security / ILRI / ILRIComms / Intensification / Interview / Pro-Poor Livestock

Supporting the world’s smallholder livestock keepers can increase food supplies while reducing absolute poverty

Posted on 17 Sep 2013 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

A young boy in Kenya feeds his family’s improved dairy cows (photo credit: East Africa Dairy Development project). ‘The head of the global livestock research centre (ILRI) in Kenya says smallholder farmers will be essential in providing the animal protein needed to feed nine billion people by 2050. ‘Dr Jimmy Smith’s comments are in response … Continue reading →

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