In this weekly column, Roger Thurow, former foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, describes the interest of Embrapa, the Brazilian agricultural research corporation that engineered a ‘green revolution’ in Brazil, in Africa. ‘. . . In Africa, Embrapa’s scientists are exploring soil and geological conditions that are similar to Brazil’s. . . . Embrapa has … Continue reading
American science and history writer Stephen Budiansky published a tonic op-ed in the New York Times last week on the dangers of simplifying such inherently complex issues as total energy expenditures in the production, transportation and marketing of food. As his article tellingly points out (see excerpts below), making arbitrary rules about our food systems, … Continue reading
In much of Africa, a herd of cattle is more than just cows. It’s a savings account, protein store, dowry, funeral fund, symbol of wealth, and hedge against drought. For many smallholder farmers, the loss of even a single cow to disease can spell ruin. Yet a grievous number of cattle in sub-Saharan Africa get … Continue reading
The flooding in Rajanpur, in Pakistan’s Punjab region, 14 August 2010. A man stranded with his remaining animals on a bit of unflooded ground waves for help (photo by Mudassir Ejaz Khan). An Op-Ed in today’s New York Times, written by Daniyal Mueenuddin, a Pakistani mango farmer and writer (author of the story collection ‘In Other … Continue reading
More than 115 million Bangladeshis live in rural villages. Those villagers don’t have much, but many do own a cow. In fact, Bangladesh has the third-largest cattle population in Asia (and the 12th-largest in the world). In theory, those bovines were the most valuable and profitable asset that poor Bangladeshis owned. The problem was that … Continue reading
Voice of America has published interviews of agricultural systems analyst Philip Thornton and director general Carlos Seré, both of the Africa-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), on the future of livestock production. From the report: ‘. . . A British scientist has published a study Monday that says the 12,000 year-old relationship between humans and … Continue reading
The vision of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to transform Accra, the capital city to a millennium city is laudable and has won accolades from many stakeholders. However one would least expect to find livestock roaming the streets of Accra, in a merry-go-round style, in the official gateway to the country. What is worrying is the … Continue reading
The Right to Food Act, when it is implemented, may not ensure that people get a proper meal every day. For even if it manages to provide subsidised grain, dairy farmers would still find it hard to keep themselves and their cattle alive. A milch animal is often the only source of income in a … Continue reading
The rapid growth in the global demand for bushmeat is leaving many African species facing the possibility of being eaten out of existence, says Mark Jones. In this week’s Green Room, he calls for western nations to do more to tackle the problem of illegal imports of bushmeat. Read more … (BBC) Continue reading
“Northern Kenya can be said to be under a permanent crisis, it’s a region with fewer than 10 medical doctors, no specialists; only the rich can access required healthcare services and many lives are lost daily whether we are in a disaster or not,” Ahmed said. Kenya’s failure to implement a disaster preparedness policy has … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 