Category Archives: ILRI

Agriculture / Animal Production / Article / East Africa / Livelihoods / Livestock / PIL / Pro-Poor Livestock / Tanzania / Value Chains

In Africa, livestock are a catalyst for economic growth—Livestock data study findings

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Investing in smallholder farmers who own livestock in rural Africa, such as these women in Tanzania, is a catalyst for economic growth (photo credit: ILRI/Deo Gratias Shayo). Last October (2013), the World Bank reported on the findings of a case study on ‘Livestock and Livelihoods in Rural Tanzania.’ The study assessed opportunities and barriers to … Continue reading →

Biodiversity / Ethiopia / FFD / Forages / Genebank / ILRI

ILRI’s forage genebank achieves good harvest of seeds in Ethiopia

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Every year International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)’s forage genebank plants about 900 accessions of forage germplasm to be regenerated (to produce new and more viable seeds) or multiplied (to increase the amount of seeds to make them available for distribution). Four field sites across Ethiopia are used to grow the 1500 different accessions (they needs … Continue reading →

Biodiversity / East Africa / Ethiopia / FFD / Forages / Genebank / ILRI / Seeds

Collaboration with Brazil expands Napier grass diversity in ILRI’s forage genebank

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From May 2011 to May 2013, the Africa-Brazil Marketplace sponsored a project to introduce Napier grass elite lines for screening for stunt resistance to provide feed for improved smallholder dairy productivity. The project was a partnership between the Forage genebank of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and EMBRAPA Dairy Cattle … Continue reading →

Biodiversity / FFD / Forages / Genebank / ILRI / Seeds

ILRI forage seeds duplicated at CIAT in Colombia

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One of the responsibilities of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) genebank is to assure that forage germplasm is adequately conserved and that major risks of losing valuable and often rare plant materials are minimized. ILRI has agreements with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) genebank to duplicate ILRI materials in their premises. This … Continue reading →

Article / CCAFS / Environment / Food Security / ILRI / ILRIComms

Future of (sustainable) livestock production: Efficient, but measured–Time Magazine on major new ILRI study

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Ethiopian livestock-keeper and her children (photo credit: ILRI/Apollo Habtamu). Livestock production may have a bigger impact on the planet than anything else. A new study from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) shows how the effects vary from country to country — and points the way toward a more sustainable future. Below, Time Magazine‘s senior … Continue reading →

Biodiversity / Ethiopia / FFD / Forages / Genebank / Germany / Seeds

German SES expert supports ILRI Addis Ababa genebank

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In 2012, ILRI’s Forage Diversity team hosted Senior Experten Service – SES scientist Evelyn Möller. Since then, she has visited Addis Ababa 3 times (Nov-Dec 2012; April – May 2013 and Nov-Dec 2013). Her assignment was to help ILRI improve the quality control of its genebank laboratories, more specifically regarding plant health diagnostic techniques and … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Farming Systems / HUMIDTROPICS / Innovation Systems / LIVESTOCKFISH / Opinion piece / Participation / PIL / PIM / Research / UK / Value Chains

Joining the PARADE: Lessons on participatory agricultural research by a livestock economist

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I joined the PARADE workshop from 9 to 11 December 2013. PARADE stands for Participatory Agricultural Research: Approaches, Design and Evaluation. The PARADE event held this week was an expert meeting at Saint Anne’s College, Oxford, United Kingdom. It was sadly not a vibrant, colourful and noisy display of human diversity… Then again, perhaps it … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Breeding / Biodiversity / Botswana / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / Event / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LIVESTOCKFISH / Southern Africa

Animal genetic resources workshop: Uniting Africa in preserving our future

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A workshop on Animal Genetic Resources in Sub-Saharan Africa was recently held in Gaborone, as an ILRI-SLU capacity building Project in collaboration with the FAO, AU/IBAR and Team Africa. The workshop ran from 26 to 29 November 2013 with the main objectives of catalyzing and enhancing regional collaboration in order to improve training in animal breeding and genetics for sustainable use of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR), plan and undertake research for development in prioritized areas of AnGR and improve capacity development including outreach activities in the relevant areas among others. Continue reading →

ASSP / CCAFS / Climate Change / Environment / FFD / ILRI / ILRIComms / Intensification / Report

Reducing climate change through livestock: FAO report

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A farm in Bangladesh with just enough room for one cow, which, adequately fed and cared for, efficiently produces enough milk for household consumption and manure for maintaining a small garden plot and fish pond (photo on Flickr by WorldFish). ‘Farmers could earn more and protect the environment by using technologies and practices that reduce … Continue reading →

CCAFS / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / ILRIComms / Insurance / Kenya / Pastoralism / PIL / Project / Vulnerability

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

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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 →