Category Archives: Asia

Africa / Agriculture / Asia / CGIAR / Directorate / Food Security / ILRI / Latin America / Research

Livestock development, food policy and tropical agriculture leaders gather in Minnesota to discuss sustainable food production

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‘. . . Three leaders of worldwide agricultural research centers will discuss “Sustainably Feeding the World” at a University of Minnesota forum on Monday. ‘All three panelists are directors-general of international research institutes that are part of the 15-member network known as the Consultative Group on International Research Centers. ‘They include Carlos Seré, who leads … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Asia / Directorate / Farming Systems / Food Security / ILRI / Mozambique / Niger / South Asia

Backing smallholder farmers today could avert food crises tomorrow

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The Guardian‘s Poverty Matters blog today (14 October 2010) published the following opinion piece by Carlos Seré, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). ‘Agribusiness investment would not only transform the lives of farmers in south Asia and Africa, but boost global food security. ‘As food riots continue in Mozambique and food crises … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Asia / Disease Control / Epidemiology / ILRI / Impact Assessment / Latin America / Value Chains

‘Bottom-up’ approaches that marry epidemiology and economics work best in assessing the impacts of animal diseases in developing countries–ILRI paper

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ILRI economist Karl Rich (credit: ILRI). Former ILRI epidemiologist Brian Perry (credit ILRI/Perry). ‘A new study by researchers working with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is recommending use of “bottom-up” approaches that use the strengths offered by value chain analysis and information economics in assessing the impacts of animal diseases and their interaction with … Continue reading →

Africa / Asia / Food Security / Insurance / Latin America / Nutrition / Women

Numbers of hungry fall for first time in 15 years, but are higher than before the food crisis of 2008

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Kadidja Kimba pounds millet whilst caring for Khadi Boubacar in Katanga Village, near Fakara, Niger (credit: ILRI/Mann). The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has made FAO’s State of Food Security available. The report says the number of undernourished people in the world remains unacceptably high at close to one billion in 2010 despite … Continue reading →

Africa / Asia / Biodiversity / Climate Change / Environment / Latin America

Greatest warming is in the North, but biggest impact on life is in the tropics

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Even though global warming is not increasing temperatures in the tropics as much as in the northern temperate zone and the Arctic, the metabolic effects on cold-blooded creatures that live there, such as this caiman lizard, will be greater than on creatures living farther north. (Credit: Tim Vickers/Wikimedia Commons) Newswise and the University of Washington … Continue reading →

Asia / Climate Change / Livelihoods / NRM / Pakistan / Water / WLE

Wealthy landowners part of the problem–not the solution–for Pakistan flood victims

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‘Like millions of other farmers across Pakistan, Abdur Razzaq of district Kot Addu lost the majority of his crops and livestock to the floodwaters that swept through the country in August. He estimates his financial loss this year around $3,000 – a huge blow given the poverty in rural Pakistan. ‘But his problems are compounded … Continue reading →

Africa / Asia / Farming Systems / Food Safety / Food Security / Latin America / Nutrition

Where should urban livestock raising be practiced? Where curtailed?

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Dairy cows, buffaloes and other livestock are kept in India’s urban as well as rural areas (photo by ILRI/MacMillan). ‘. . . Urban agriculture can . . . have important benefits for food security. Although the impact might be small, it can be crucial for some groups of society, such as the urban poor as … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / Animal Products / Asia / Biodiversity / India / Indigenous Breeds / Latin America / Livestock / Markets / Somalia / South Africa

Marketing local breeds to improve livestock diversity and livelihoods

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Throughout the world and over centuries, small-scale livestock keepers and pastoralists have developed animal breeds that are well suited to their local conditions. These breeds are hardy and disease-resistant; they can survive on little water and scant vegetation. They can continue producing meat and milk in areas where modern, imported breeds succumb without expensive housing, … Continue reading →

Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Asia / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / South Asia / Sri Lanka / Zoonotic Diseases

Mobile-phone–based surveillance of infectious disease in Sri Lanka

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With infectious zoonotic diseases emerging in animals in low- and middle-income countries, surveillance of animal health in these nations is becoming increasingly important for forecasting disease risks to people. A new paper describes a mobile-phone-based surveillance system for animal populations that has been developed and implemented in Sri Lanka. Using this system, field veterinarians reported … Continue reading →