Distance learning courses on animal health and production from the LIDC

Posted on 24 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

In October this year, an online database of more than 140 distance learning courses about international development, featuring courses from the RVC, was launched by Distance Learning for Development (DL4D). The postgraduate courses, including Principles of Livestock Production, Globalisation and Health, Planning for Education and Development, Climate Change and Development, and Understanding Poverty are primarily … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / East Africa / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Livestock

Journalists experience livestock science in action in Kenya’s south Rift Valley

Posted on 24 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

A ‘science safari’ to the south Rift Valley has enabled African journalists to get first-hand experience of the recent drought in Kenya and the impacts on pastoralists and their livestock. Eight radio and print journalists from East, West and southern Africa took part in the ‘safari’, as part of the latest ‘better science reporting’ workshop … 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

Posted on 23 Nov 2009 by Zerihun Sewunet • Leave a comment

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 →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Cattle / East Africa / ECF / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Tanzania

Using mobile phones to monitor cattle disease

Posted on 23 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

In October, the London International Development Centre (LIDC) organised a workshop to discuss the ‘Impact of Mobile Phones Upon Development and Health’. Three speakers spoke on the use of mobile phones and animal health in Africa: Andrew Hagner (Royal Veterinary College) explained how he and his Undergraduate Research Team used mobile devices to record the … Continue reading →

Cattle / Climate Change / Environment / Livestock / USA

Climate reprieve for cattle

Posted on 23 Nov 2009 by ILRI Communications • 1 Comment

Beef cattle are not the climate-change bogeymen they’re made out to be, according to a new US study. University of California scientists say UN estimates that livestock generate 18 per cent of global greenhouse emissions could be six times too high. They say recent estimates by US environment and energy agencies, using more appropriate assumptions, … Continue reading →

Africa / East Africa / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Research

A day in the life of livestock science in Africa: The journalists’ view

Posted on 22 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Many agricultural science reporters don’t have first hand experience of livestock science. But one team of African print and radio journalists embraced the chance to find out more, to see livestock science in action. Click here to watch the video More videos on livestock from Wrenmedia … Continue reading →

Climate Change / Livestock

Livestock and climate change

Posted on 22 Nov 2009 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

Livestock and climate change: What if the key actors in climate change are…cows, pigs, and chickens? The environmental impact of the lifecycle and supply chain of animals raised for food has been vastly underestimated, and in fact accounts for at least half of all human-caused greenhouse gases (GHGs), according to Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang, … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Livestock / RVF / Southern Africa / Tanzania / UK / Zoonotic Diseases

Southern African centre to monitor infectious diseases affecting humans and animals

Posted on 21 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) announced that “deadly diseases including plague, Ebola and Rift Valley Fever are being targeted as part of a new multi-million pound international partnership involving African researchers and the RVC as part of the London International Development Centre (LIDC). The Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS) links medical and … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Livestock

Improving health in an interconnected world

Posted on 20 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

On November 17, 2009, the One Health Commission held a summit convening leading health science experts across the human, animal and ecosystem disciplines. The One Health Commission Summit aimed to raise awareness of the importance of transcending institutional and disciplinary boundaries to improve health outcomes for all species. During the Summit, the Institute of Medicine … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Health / India / Knowledge and Information / Livestock

Addressing animal health knowledge gaps in Southern countries

Posted on 19 Nov 2009 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Livestock are a key asset for the global poor. However, access to relevant information is a critical issue for both livestock development practitioners and the poor themselves. This paper details the creation of an on-line Animal Health Resource Room. The Animal Health Resource Room was created to deliver learning media i.e. videos and pamphlets to … Continue reading →