The March 2010 issue of ILEIA’s ‘Farming Matters’ magazine is subtitled ‘Going for more animals.’ The issue “focuses on how small-scale farmers manage their animals, how they link animal husbandry with other activities, and what their livestock means to them. An integrated perspective on the role of farm animals is crucial in overcoming simplistic assumptions … Continue reading
Category Archives: Innovation Systems
Drought / East Africa / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Insurance / Kenya / Livestock
Innovative livestock insurance program launched in Kenya
In the arid, dusty Marsabit region of northern Kenya, most people rely on livestock — for food, milk and income — to survive. So when a drought hits the already desertlike area and plants and animals begin to die, the entire population is at risk of famine. And because northern Kenya experiences drought about every … Continue reading
Agriculture / Climate Change / Disease Control / Environment / Human Health / Innovation Systems / Knowledge and Information / Vaccines
Bill Gates says innovation can leverage change
The needs of the poor are greater than the money available to help them, but that’s not enough to discourage Bill Gates in his work as co-chair of the world’s largest charitable foundation. In his second annual letter, issued Monday, Gates says investment in science and technology can leverage those dollars and make more of … Continue reading
Science and innovation are key to improving lives in the developing world, claim top academics
A new book by two of the UK’s leading international development thinkers is a landmark in development thinking and practice. Science and Innovation for Development demonstrates how science and innovation can be harnessed to tackle today’s biggest challenges in poor countries, including climate change, HIV/AIDS and illiteracy. Case studies are described, including the use of … Continue reading
Tacit knowledge and innovation capacity: Evidence from the Indian livestock sector
To cope and compete in this rapidly-changing world, organisations need to access and apply new knowledge. While explicit knowledge is important, what is often critical is an organisation’s ability to create, access, share and apply the tacit or un-codified knowledge that exists among its members, its network and the wider innovation system of which it … Continue reading
Animal Feeding / Ethiopia / Fodder / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Research / Vietnam
Fodder adoption blog from ILRI
Alan Duncan – leader of the IFAD-funded ‘Fodder Adoption Project’ at ILRI just launched a new blog to report on activities and developments in the project. Visit the blog at http://fodderadoption.wordpress.com/ Sign up for a regular update by email Continue reading
African Science, Technology and Innovation Endowment Fund to be launched
One of the main recommendations of the Science with Africa conference was to seek way of establishing a fund to promote science, technology and innovation. In order to meet this recommendation, the UNECA is launching the African Science, Technology and Innovation Endowment Fund (ASTIEF). The Fund is designed to stimulate research commercialization in public-private partnership … Continue reading
Innovation capacity and the elusive livestock revolution
In the October 2009 issue of LINK LOOK, Jeroen Dijkman looks at the track record of 10 years of ‘revolution’ in the livestock sector. Experience seems to suggest that only few countries have managed to use these sector dynamics effectively for poverty reduction and economic growth. Not surprisingly, those who have been able to respond … Continue reading
Innovation systems help put technologies into farmer context
Speaking at the December 2009 CGIAR System-wide Livestock Programme meeting in Addis Ababa, Andre Van Rooyen (ICRISAT) explained the ‘innovation platform’ approach they use to engage with smallholder farmers in Southern Africa. “Our hypothesis is that farmers will only invest in improved technologies when they are part of an effective marketing system.” ‘Innovation platforms allow … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Innovation Systems / IPMS / Livestock
Applying innovation system concepts in agricultural research for development: A learning module
This report by Ponniah Anandajayasekeram and Ranjitha Puskur of ILRI and Elias Zerfu of IFPRI on Applying innovation system concepts in agricultural research for development was released on 23 November, 2009. This learning module is expected to have multiple uses. One, a source material for trainings that could be organized at different levels, and two, as … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 