Farmer Celeste Sitoe with her maize harvest in Lhate Village, outside Chokwe, in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). The Associated Press today broke a story that researchers are predicting a ‘gloomy’ future for agriculture in the face of greater and faster warming of the world than expected. ‘. . . [O]n our current … Continue reading
Category Archives: Regions
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Products / East Africa / Environment / Kenya
Biogas from cow dung: A good alternative?
With the rising fuel costs, farmers in Kenya have come up with ways of generating power locally and cheaply. Biogas is increasing becoming a viable alternative to many farmers and especially those in high potential Central Highlands where dairying is common. Read more … (Kenya Agriculture Stories) Continue reading
Africa / Asia / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Food Security / Latin America
‘Globe faces daunting task’–Climate change researcher Bruce Campbell
Science News reports this week that the prices of global food prices are rising along with global temperatures and that global warming may have already begun outpacing the ability of farmers to adapt. ‘Since summer, signs of severe food insecurity—droughts, food riots, five- to tenfold increases in produce costs—have erupted around the globe. Several new … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Directorate / ILRI
‘We’re not getting traction on climate change’–Carlos Sere
ILRI director general Carlos Seré warns of the impacts of a world 4 degrees warmer on hundreds of millions of African small-scale food producers. As a United Nations climate meeting gets under way in Cancún, Mexico, this week, Carlos Seré, a Uruguyan agricultural economist and director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), warns policymakers … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Production / Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / Environment / ILRI / Livestock Systems / Poultry
Turkeys and spinach: Green foodies beware–the foods in our food systems are not always what they seem
Seen at the Barrington Living History Farm (USA), this is most likely a Black-Spanish turkey, which was a common breed in the 19th century (photo credit: Big Grey Mare’s Photostream on Flickr / Carol Von Canon). Agricultural systems analyst Philip Thornton, of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), was interviewed last week by the American … Continue reading
Africa / Climate Change / ILRI
Forscher warnen: Vier Grad sind zwei zu viel
‘Um nicht mehr als zwei Grad Celsius soll sich die Erde erwärmen. Darauf hatten sich die Teilnehmer des letzten Klimagipfels verständigt. Zu Beginn des diesjährigen UN-Klimatreffens im mexikanischen Cancún an diesem Montag ist allerdings fraglicher denn je, ob dieses unverbindliche Minimalziel überhaupt noch erreicht werden kann. Zum einen, weil weiter verbindliche Ziele zur Treibhausgasminderung fehlen. ‘Zum … Continue reading
Could rising temperatures overwhelm Africa’s adaptive capacity and resilience?
‘A new study warns of the potential problems Africa faces from rising temperatures. ‘The Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) says the continent must learn to adapt to shorter growing seasons. The report was released as the U.N. Climate Change Conference is held in Cancun, Mexico. ‘Most warnings about climate change are based on a … Continue reading
Climate change may force many southern African crop-and-livestock farmers to migrate–ILRI director general Carlos Sere
‘The unsolved puzzle of what to do with people forced from their homes by the effects of climate change—a hot topic a couple of years ago—seems to have slid down the agendas of aid agencies, policy makers and the media. . . . [A] comprehensive international framework for dealing with environmental migrants is still a … Continue reading
Shorter growing season for sub-Saharan Africa – ILRI systems analyst Philip Thornton
‘. . . [T]he UK’s Royal Society has published detailed study of how the world will look when it is 4 °C warmer. . . . ‘Most of sub-Saharan Africa will see shorter growing seasons, according to Philip Thornton of the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, and colleagues. As a result, average maize … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Production / Climate Change / Goats / Livestock / Mozambique / Small Ruminants / Southern Africa
Mozambique adapting to climate change with goats
People in the floodplains of Mozambique’s Zambezi Valley have always relied on the rains October and November so they could sow their seeds for a good harvest in the New Year. But, there are droughts and the rains are erratic, often coming very late and falling so heavily that everything is washed away. Crops fail, … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 