Category Archives: Policy

Mobile pastoralism—A 10,000-year-old practice still robust, if threatened, in the Mediterranean today
Biodiversity / Cattle / Climate Change / Environment / Europe / Goats / Pastoralism / Policy / Rangelands / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Mobile pastoralism—A 10,000-year-old practice still robust, if threatened, in the Mediterranean today

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Mobile Pastoralism in the Mediterranean: Arguments and evidence for policy reform and its role in combating climate change presents over 100 arguments detailing the benefits of mobile pastoralism to biodiversity, carbon storage, wildfire prevention, climate change, food security and quality, traditional ecological knowledge, rural economies, tourism—to name a few. Continue reading →

Illegal land sales imperil unique treasure—by Jimmy Smith
Communications / Directorate / East Africa / ILRI / Kenya / Opinion piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Research

Illegal land sales imperil unique treasure—by Jimmy Smith

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The following opinion piece was written by Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). and published in the Daily Nation (Kenya) on 15 January 2018.
The vibrant and rapidly growing local livestock sector contributes more than 40 per cent of revenues and employs half of the labour force in Kenya’s agriculture industry.
Now, the greedy actions of a few are threatening the future of many millions of people and decades of livestock research.
Also lost in the lawless Kapiti land grab is that the Ilri station is a vital wildlife corridor and dispersal area for Kenya’s Southern Conservancy Area. Continue reading →

Thinking ‘beyond the farm’—On Germany’s longstanding commitment to agricultural research for development
Agriculture / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Environment / Event report / Film and video / Food Security / Germany / ILRI / Mazingira / Policy / Presentation / Research / SLS

Thinking ‘beyond the farm’—On Germany’s longstanding commitment to agricultural research for development

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Watch and listen to Stefan Schmitz, head of Food, Agriculture & Rural Development at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as he delivers a short (6-minute) filmed presentation at one of several linked collaborative events led by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and held on the sidelines of the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 7 Nov 2017 in Bonn, Germany. Continue reading →

While some animal-transmitted diseases of the poor are declining, other, mostly foodborne, diseases are on the rise
A4NH / Advocacy / Agri-Health / AHH / Animal Health / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Food Safety / FSZ / ILRI / News clipping / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / RVF / Zoonotic Diseases

While some animal-transmitted diseases of the poor are declining, other, mostly foodborne, diseases are on the rise

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A new category of infectious diseases is thriving. Amid mostly stabilizing population growth, declining poverty, rising urbanization and emerging economic wealth, other zoonotic, largely foodborne diseases are emerging more quickly, keeping pace with human progress. . . . “While we’re getting rid of conditions that bring about some diseases, we’re also creating the conditions to give rise to new diseases or make other diseases worse,” [ILRI’s Delia Grace] said. 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

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‘”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 →

Can we sustainably meet the growing demand for meat in developing countries?—Yes, says Louise Fresco
Animal Feeding / Animal Production / Crop-Livestock / Food Security / NRM / Opinion piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands

Can we sustainably meet the growing demand for meat in developing countries?—Yes, says Louise Fresco

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The following argument for continuing to use livestock to use the planet’s full ecological potential is made by Louise Fresco, a Dutch writer and food and agricultural scientist specializing in sustainable tropical agriculture. President of the executive board of Wageningen University and Research, Fresco is a member of the World Food Prize Council of Advisors and holds many other distinguished appointments and honours. Continue reading →

Could animals help solve the world’s ‘calorie’ as well as ‘hidden’ hunger?—ILRI’s Delia Grace on World Food Day
Advocacy / Agri-Health / AHH / Food Security / Human Health / ILRI / Interview / Nutrition / Policy

Could animals help solve the world’s ‘calorie’ as well as ‘hidden’ hunger?—ILRI’s Delia Grace on World Food Day

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The interview below, Could animal-sourced protein really solve the world’s hunger crisis?, of veterinary epidemiologist and food safety expert Delia Grace, of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), was originally published in the Oct 2017 ‘Food and Nutrition Security’ issue of the monthly newsletter for Health for Animals. Both display quote graphics are by Health for Animals. Continue reading →

On the two central, and under-resourced, assets of the developing world: Women and livestock
Africa / Directorate / Event report / Gender / ILRI / ILRIComms / Interview / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Women

On the two central, and under-resourced, assets of the developing world: Women and livestock

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An interesting discussion took place at a news conference that followed the policy session on Thursday morning (11 May 2017), the fourth of this five-day Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock. A member of the audience asked the following question of the distinguished panel members, who included ministerial rank leaders of livestock development agenda in several African countries. 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

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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 →