Livestock institute leader Jimmy Smith makes the case for sustainable livestock development—Food Tank webinar

Posted on 19 Oct 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in a webinar today hosted by Food Tank, presented the case for sustainable livestock development in low- and middle-income countries helping the world achieve food and nutritional security. Continue reading →

Agriculture / Article / Burkina Faso / Crop-Livestock / Farming Systems / ILRI / Intensification / SLS / West Africa

US ambassador to Burkina Faso visits ILRI-led Feed the Future Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab project

Posted on 19 Oct 2016 by Dorine Odongo • Leave a comment

On 6 October 2016 the Ambassador of the United States to Burkina Faso, H E Tulinabo S Mushingi, visited Ziga in Yatenga Province, one of the implementation sites of the Feed the Future Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab (SIIL) project in the country. Continue reading →

ACGG / Africa / Animal Breeding / Animal Feeding / Article / Chickens / CTLGH / Ethiopia / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Intensification / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Markets / Mozambique / Nigeria / Poultry / Tanzania

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 →

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 / Animal Breeding / Article / Biodiversity / Breeds / Chickens / Environment / Europe / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / Poultry

Belgian artist’s 20-year chicken breeding project makes artistic, environmental (maybe philosophical) statement

Posted on 29 Sep 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen has created a chicken with genes from different chicken breeds from all over the world. Now he’s bringing it to America to help diversify our poultry. 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 →

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