Category Archives: Livestock

Animal Production / Article / Directorate / Food Security / FSZ / ILRI / Livestock / Nutrition / SLS / Trade

Animal production and global food security: Livelihoods for poor owners and food for rich consumers

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The January 2013 issue of Animal Frontiers looks at the contribution of animal production to global food security. The first of two special issues edited by Maggie Gill, this issue ‘takes a high-level perspective, exploring the relationship between people and animals (including fish) in developing countries, through trade and particularly in terms of nutrition’. Articles … Continue reading →

Event report / ILRI / Livestock / Markets / PIM / Research / Value Chains

CTA ‘Making the Connection Conference’: Lessons for livestock value chains in developing countries

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The Niamana Livestock Market in Bamako, the largest in Mali (photo credit: ILRI/Stevie Mann). This post is written by Jo Cadilhon, an agro-economist in ILRI’s Changing Demand and Market Institutions team. It’s been three weeks now since I attended the conference on Making the connection: Value chains for transforming smallholder agriculture organized by CTA in … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / East Africa / Environment / Ethiopia / Event report / ILRI / Livestock / Livestock-Water / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Crop-livestock farmers in Ethiopia’s Blue Nile Basin supported in climate adaptation

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Last week a project to ‘enhance communities’ adaptive capacity to climate-change-induced water scarcity in drought-prone hotspots of the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia’ held a farmers’ field day at Kabe Watershed. More than 90 farmers, researchers, extension experts, staff of non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders met to share lessons on what farmers have practiced and benefited … Continue reading →

Animal Health / Animal Production / East Africa / Goats / Kenya / Livestock / Zoonotic Diseases

Livestock: Blessing or a burden?

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Writing in Footsteps – a magazine of Tearfund, Nigel Poole argues there is ‘no simple answer’ to the question: are livestock a blessing or a burden? He suggests that the ‘type of livestock production practised and the ecological context both matter. But think about one of the most common livestock problems, which is this: if … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Biodiversity / Livestock / LIVESTOCKFISH / Report / Senegal / West Africa

Management of globally significant endemic ruminant livestock in Senegal

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This report on Sustainable management of globally significant endemic ruminant livestock in West Africa: Estimate of livestock demographic parameters in Senegal was released by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in August 2012. Authored by Maria Ejlertsen, Jane Poole and Karen Marshall, it describes the results of a 12-month survey to estimate livestock demographic parameters of endemic … Continue reading →

Climate Change / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Food Safety / Food Security / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Research / Zoonotic Diseases

Five grand challenges for animal science research – ASAS takes stock

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The American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) has released five ‘Grand Challenges documents‘ that advocate research priorities for the future of animal science. The issues covered are: Animal health: Support for animal health research would improve disease resistance, disease prevention and animal productivity. Climate change: A better understanding of climate change would keep animal agriculture … Continue reading →

A4NH / Agri-Health / Agriculture / Animal Production / Asia / Event / ILRI / Livestock / Zoonotic Diseases

Livestock challenges and opportunities in Asia discussed at regional policy forum

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Increasing livestock production to meet rapidly growing demands in a socially equitable and ecologically sustainable manner has become major challenge for the Asia-Pacific region. To discuss these challenges and to outline elements of a response, FAO, together with ILRI, IFPRI and other partners organized a Regional Policy Forum in Bangkok on 16-17 August 2012. Asia … Continue reading →

Agriculture / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Environment / ILRI / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Report

Greening livestock

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This report on Greening livestock: Assessing the potential of payment for environmental services in livestock inclusive agricultural production systems in developing countries was released by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in July 2012. Livestock serve as pathways out of poverty for poor smallholder farmers in the developing world. The production of livestock in mixed extensive and intensive … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / Asia / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / Event / Goats / ILRI / India / Innovation Systems / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Mozambique / South Asia / Southern Africa

Innovation platforms: Documenting experiences from the imGoats project and beyond

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Innovation platforms are a complex and some would say a not-so-straightforward approach. Nevertheless, ILRI, other CGIAR centers and other partners are using this approach in various projects such as the Nile Basin Development Challenge, IMGoats and the recently-completed Fodder Adoption and Fodder Innovation projects. What are innovation platforms exactly? This poster gives some ideas.   … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Production / Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / Intensification / Livestock

FAO reviews stakeholder dialogue in support of sustainable livestock development

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Last week, the Committee on Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) discussed options for “stakeholder dialogue in support of sustainable livestock sector development” as a contribution to the so-called “Global Agenda of Action in Support of Sustainable Livestock Sector Development. The Global Agenda of Action focuses on the improvement of resource-use efficiency in … Continue reading →