CGIAR and Somali officials and donors come together at ICRAF to support agricultural development in Somalia
Agriculture / CGIAR / Directorate / Drylands / East Africa / Event report / Fodder / ILRI / Insurance / Pastoralism / Pro-Poor Livestock / Somalia

CGIAR and Somali officials and donors come together at ICRAF to support agricultural development in Somalia

With livestock and cropping the backbone of the country, leaders from 11 of the 15 CGIAR centres met with Somali officials last month at ICRAF to map ways that CGIAR dryland agricultural research could accelerate and enhance Somalia’s development. Continue reading

Accelerating the development of agricultural value chains in Kenya—AVCD Conference Highlights
Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Feeding / Animal Health / AVCD / Cattle / CGIAR / Climate Change / Crops / Dairying / Disease Control / East Africa / Event report / Extension / Food Security / Forages / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Markets / Nutrition / Policy / SLS / Value Chains

Accelerating the development of agricultural value chains in Kenya—AVCD Conference Highlights

Twitter Moment highlights of the Accelerated Value Chain Development Conference at ILRI on 26–27 Apr 2018. Continue reading

Agriculture can rein in greenhouse gas emissions ‘immediately’, say UN and CGIAR
Agriculture / Article / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Dairying / Event report / ILRI / Insurance / Opinion piece / PIL / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS

Agriculture can rein in greenhouse gas emissions ‘immediately’, say UN and CGIAR

‘”In the next few years . . . agriculture . . . could produce early results immediately, cost-effectively and all over the world”, René Castro of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) told the COP23 climate talks in Bonn.’ Continue reading

Index-based livestock insurance offers protection against lack of rainfall in Ethiopia’s southern Borena zone
Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / Food Security / ILRI / Insurance / LIVESTOCKCRP / News clipping / Pastoralism / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Vulnerability

Index-based livestock insurance offers protection against lack of rainfall in Ethiopia’s southern Borena zone

Initially intended only as insurance against the death of livestock, the insurance scheme has evolved into a product to help pastoralists keep their animals alive, according to Masresha Taye, who coordinates the programme in Ethiopia for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Continue reading

Delivering smart climate change adaptation and mitigation options for East African agriculture
CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / East Africa / Event report / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Mazingira / Pastoralism / Policy / SLS / Women

Delivering smart climate change adaptation and mitigation options for East African agriculture

On 30 May 2017, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) held a science seminar at ILRI’s campus in Nairobi on delivering climate change options for the region. Participants shared knowledge and discussed best practices—and persistent gaps—in climate change adaptation and mitigation options for East Africa’s millions of small-scale food producers. Continue reading

Expanding livestock insurance coverage in Turkana—and across all of Kenya’s great dryland pastoral communities
AVCD / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / News clipping / Opinion piece / Pastoralism / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience

Expanding livestock insurance coverage in Turkana—and across all of Kenya’s great dryland pastoral communities

The following excerpts of an opinion piece were written by ILRI’s Andrew Mude and originally published by The Standard newspaper (Kenya): Insurance only way to guard against weather-gone-awry phenomenon, 28 Apr 2017. Continue reading

New USAID grant to asses projects aiming to reduce poverty and the need for food aid in Kenya’s drylands
Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Food Security / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / News clipping / Pastoralism / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Vulnerability

New USAID grant to asses projects aiming to reduce poverty and the need for food aid in Kenya’s drylands

A new grant funds a project, recently launched by UC Davis researchers in northern Kenya, that will use a randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the impacts of combining programs that offer training, support and aid with affordable insurance to reduce chronic poverty.

The new project is led by Michael Carter, a professor of agricultural and resource economics and director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Assets and Market Access at UCD, and Andrew Mude from the International Livestock Research Institute, or ILRI, in Kenya. The researchers hope the project will help create a pathway out of poverty and reduce the need for aid, which Kenya’s government provides each year, even without drought. Continue reading

And in other news: Take a 3-min break this weekend to celebrate Africa’s climate heroes and change actions
Africa / Agriculture / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Event report / Film and video / Food Security / ILRI / Insurance / Launch / Policy / Resilience / SLS

And in other news: Take a 3-min break this weekend to celebrate Africa’s climate heroes and change actions

This video comes from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and its many partners, including ILRI, which is proud to work with CCAFS and its lead centre, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Continue reading

Farmers coping with on-going drought in southern Africa need better weather advice and insurance
Agriculture / Animal Feeding / Article / ASSP / Cattle / Chickens / Crop residues / Dairying / Drought / Food Security / Goats / ILRI / Insurance / Poultry / Resilience / Sheep / Small Ruminants / South Africa / Southern Africa / Zimbabwe

Farmers coping with on-going drought in southern Africa need better weather advice and insurance

A new regional push, focused on promoting four key actions to adapt agriculture and curb growing hunger, could help, Ajayi said. The best ways to assist southern Africa’s farmers, agricultural experts said, are by increasing their access to insurance for crop failure and livestock deaths, and giving them better weather advice via mobile phone. Continue reading