This paper by S. Niggol Seo in the journal ‘Food Policy’ examines whether an integrated farm that owns both crops and livestock is more resilient under global warming than a specialized farm in crops. Using around 9000 farm surveys across Africa, we explore how farmers choose one of the farm types and how the net … Continue reading
Category Archives: Regions
Implications of avian flu for economic development in Kenya
Kenya is vulnerable to avian flu given its position along migratory bird routes and proximity to other high risk countries. This raises concern about the effect an outbreak could have on economic development. We use a dynamic computable general equilibrium model of Kenya to simulate potential outbreaks of different severities, durations and geographic spreads. Results … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / CGIAR / Food Security / Research
Are Gates and CGIAR a good mix for Africa?
International agricultural development acquired a significant new player last December when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — the biggest private foundation in the world, with US$37 billion under its control — announced that it was joining the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). When the Gates Foundation launched its own agricultural programmes a … Continue reading
PNG tribal life holds key to animal disease research
In the Papua New Guinea Highlands, people live in much the same way as they have for centuries. But even in these far reaches, technology is making its first tentative steps into this subsistence way of life. Villagers have been wooed by the lure of mobile telephones, provided to them by companies which are using … Continue reading
Africa gets places at World food safety table
Africa is getting chairs at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) table where food safety and animal and plant health issues are decided. africa-apple-featured.jpgWTO is giving observer status to three regional organizations of African counties on its Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee. WTO’s new observers are the Economic Committee for West African States (ECOWAS), the Committee … Continue reading
Climate change – Brazil: The threat posed by livestock
The livestock industry has less economic clout than the oil industry, but ranchers say it has better arguments to defend itself from accusations regarding its share of responsibility for global warming. The livestock industry represents 40 percent of agricultural production worldwide and provides a livelihood and food security to one billion people. The fact that … Continue reading
Animal Diseases / Asia / Bangladesh / India / South Asia / Wildlife
Wildlife Trust launches One Health Alliance of South Asia
Wildlife Trust, the global conservation health organization, announced the formation of the One Health Alliance of South Asia (OHASA) – a collaborative group of scientists and government agencies focused on preventing the spread of emerging diseases among wildlife and human populations. Read more … (Wildlife Trust) Continue reading
Optimal long-term stocking rates for livestock grazing in a Sahelian rangeland
A recent paper in the African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics presents a model for calculating the optimal livestock stocking rate in a semi-arid rangeland that accounts for stochastic rainfall, the ecological feedback effect and variable prices. The model is developed for rangelands dominated by annual rather than perennial grasses, such as the African … Continue reading
Africa / Drought / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livelihoods / Livestock
Milking a new system: A scheme to help herders to benefit from modern insurance
The Marsabit district in rugged northern Kenya is the size of Ireland. It has ten tribes and seven languages but only 160,000 people. The manager of the local branch of Equity Bank says it takes two crunching days of driving his jeep through burning deserts to reach some of his customers. Marsabit depends on cattle, … Continue reading
East Africa moves to establish joint disease surveillance centre
With infectious diseases widely regarded as the major constraint to agricultural and animal development as well as human health and well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, scientists have realized the need for common strategy towards managing diseases in Africa. For the first time, experts in the three sectors; humans, animals and plants met in Kampala to plan … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 