Land O’ Lakes reports how the Maforga Christian Mission in Mozambique has improve the nutritional intake of the orphans through a dairy demonstration project. As of December 2009, the Mission’s lactating cows were producing more than 50 liters of fresh milk per day. From August to December, total production reached 5,076 liters of milk. This … Continue reading
Category Archives: Regions
Go veg to save the globe?
Can the food that we load our plates with actually affect climate? Surprisingly, the answer is “Yes”. What this means is, it’s time we did our bit to save the planet from global warming by simply going vegetarian! Did you know that rearing livestock for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the fuel guzzling … Continue reading
Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / East Africa / ILRI / Kenya / Tanzania / Uganda
Africa: Finding the food crops of the future
Temperatures seem set to soar to perilously high levels because of climate change. In another 40 years, would maize still be the staple food in Kenya, already hit by five failed rainy seasons? If not, what could people grow and eat? And if you could grow maize, how much water and fertilizer would it need? … Continue reading
Fighting disease spread during ‘the greatest show on earth’
The annual migration of over a million wildebeest across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara is often described as one of the greatest spectacles on earth. However, this natural wonder poses a real threat to the livelihood of local farmers whose cattle are essential to their economic and social welfare. Four hundred thousand wildebeest calves born … Continue reading
Africa / Drought / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livelihoods / Livestock / Markets
Der Ziegen-Schutzbrief
Kleinbauern in Afrika können ihr Vieh neuerdings gegen Dürren versichern Der Marsabit-Distrikt in Kenia ist nicht unbedingt eine Touristengegend. Es gibt zwar um den verloschenen Vulkan gleichen Namens herum einen Nationalpark mit Löwen, Leoparden, Zebras und Elefanten. Aber das Tiefland am Ufer des Turkana-Sees und an der Grenze zu Äthiopien ist eintönig und flach, steinig … Continue reading
End of the road nears for pastoralists’ way of life
The government of Kenya and the donor community should act fast to preserve the way of life of nomadic people. The economic worth of nomadic people has long been underplayed, though the role they play in preserving fragile ecosystems is vital. That is the conclusion of a new book published by the Institute for Environment … Continue reading
Smallholder farmers hold the key to global food security
While a lot of money is being pumped into agriculture in a bid to boost production and alleviate hunger in the world, these efforts are unlikely to succeed without focusing on mixed smallholder farmers, a new study has warned. The study, which puts countries like Kenya––long criticised for neglecting the smallholders––on the spot, says smallholders … Continue reading
It’s raining, it’s pouring
“It’s so hot!” “Why can’t it stop raining?” “The lightning was terrible” I’m not sure about you but I keep finding myself complaining about the weather. Global warming, Copenhagen, recycling, climate change – it’s like we just keep hearing it over and over again. Remember last year when we turned off the lights for one … Continue reading
Animal Diseases / Disease Control / Epidemiology / Europe / Livestock / UK
Governance of livestock diseases–interactions between epidemiology, politics, economics and law
Infectious disease of livestock remains an important problem, seriously damaging rural economies, producing social disruption and impairing public trust and confidence in government. It can result in animal suffering, and potentially affect the health of humans and wildlife. Livestock disease has generally been seen as a scientific, public health or epidemiological problem, and it has … Continue reading
Are too many tourists killing Africa’s wildlife?
ILRI’s Research of 2009 is again reported on the ‘Dynamics of Mara-Serengeti ungulates to land use changes’. A former project member, Dickson Ole Kaelo, speaking on the importance of conservancies in sustaining the Mara’s wildlife, is quoted saying, “This land is critical to the survival of most resident and migratory wildlife species such as … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 