Category Archives: Regions

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 / Agriculture

African agri-boom could be ‘bigger than mobile phones’–World Bank VP for Africa

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Farming in the highlands of Ethiopia (Credit: ILRI/Habtamu). ‘Agriculture and agri-business offer the biggest transformational potential for Africa, with an even greater positive impact on ordinary people’s lives than the mobile phone boom. ‘“If you ask me what the next ‘big thing’ in Africa will be, I’d say without hesitation agriculture and agri-business,” the World … 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 →

East Africa / Kenya / Research / Rwanda

The Guardian’s ‘Poverty Matters Blog’ matters

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The Guardian newspaper, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, hosts an interesting ‘Poverty Matters Blog’. Food for thought by 2050 Leading scientists say meat grown in vats may be necessary to feed 9 billion people expected to be alive by middle of century This blog posted an article two months ago on … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Disease Control / East Africa / Kenya / Middle East / North Africa / RVF / Somalia / Tanzania / Trade / Value Chains

Economic losses from Rift Valley fever greater than previous documented

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‘Kenya’s livestock farmers were hardest hit as a result of the death of their animals from the Rift Valley fever disease outbreak in 2006/2007, with total economic losses from livestock deaths valued at over 7.6 million US dollars, researchers revealed. ‘According to the researchers at the Market Opportunities Theme of the International Livestock Research Institute … 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 / Agriculture / East Africa / Food Security / Kenya

Kenya receives Sh2.5b aid to boost food security

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Kenya has received Sh2.5 billion from the US Government to boost the country’s food security and eradicate hunger. Part of the funds will be used to fund agricultural related activities and nutrition. Speaking on Wednesday during the signing ceremony of a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) in Nairobi, US ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger … 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 →