Category Archives: South Asia

How viable are schemes to give poor people making and selling ‘informal’ milk greater market access?
A4NH / AHH / Buffalo / Cattle / Consumption / Dairying / East Africa / Food Safety / Food Security / Human Health / ILRI / India / Kenya / Livelihoods / Markets / Nutrition / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Report / South Asia / Tanzania / Trade / Value Chains

How viable are schemes to give poor people making and selling ‘informal’ milk greater market access?

Posted on by • Leave a comment

A new report from ILRI and IIED reviews the effectiveness of training and certification schemes designed to give small-scale ‘informal’ sellers of ‘raw’ and/or boiled or informally pasteurized milk and (in India) milk sweets greater market access in East Africa and South Asia. The report reviews such schemes in Kenya and Tanzania and in the state of Assam, in northwestern India. In all three countries, the informal sector dominates dairy marketing and trade and informal milk production and trade contribute significantly to the employment, livelihoods and nutrition of many millions of poor people. Continue reading →

Donors commit USD790m to help smallholder farmers cope with climate change; Global Commission on Adaptation calls for doubling of investments in CGIAR
Advocacy / Africa / Agriculture / CGIAR / Climate Change / Food Security / Opinion piece / Policy / South Asia

Donors commit USD790m to help smallholder farmers cope with climate change; Global Commission on Adaptation calls for doubling of investments in CGIAR

Posted on by • Leave a comment

On September 23, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the European Commission, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany announced commitments of more than US $790 million to address the impact of climate change on food and agriculture. These commitments followed a recent call by the Global Commission on Adaptation, led by Ban Ki Moon, Bill Gates, and Kristalina Georgieva, for increased resource allocations to international agricultural research. Continue reading →

A ‘milk start-up’ aims to modernize India’s massive informal dairy economy in Odisha State
Buffalo / Cattle / Consumption / Dairying / Food Safety / Human Health / India / Markets / News clipping / South Asia / Value Chains

A ‘milk start-up’ aims to modernize India’s massive informal dairy economy in Odisha State

Posted on by • Leave a comment

Venture capitalists have been increasingly active in India, though until recently nearly all of them have been looking to invest in Silicon Valley-like dot-coms. Odisha state, the heart of Mr. Misra’s proposed new dairy start up, is one of India’s least-developed regions, far off the radar screen even of investors based in the country. Continue reading →

India’s northeast Bihar State gears up to approve and implement a ‘livestock master plan’
Capacity Strengthening / Cattle / Chickens / Goats / ILRI / India / Intensification / News clipping / Pigs / PIL / Policy / Poultry / Pro-Poor Livestock / South Asia / Value Chains

India’s northeast Bihar State gears up to approve and implement a ‘livestock master plan’

Posted on by • Leave a comment

Bihar is gearing up for a ‘livestock master plan’ being prepared for it by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). ‘It is almost ready and ILRI experts will present its draft to the government here on July 4. The master plan, which will be for a 15–year period, will emphasise on various steps to give a push to dairy, goat-rearing, poultry, piggery and other allied sectors with an aim to improving food security and reducing poverty through better and more sustainable use of livestock. Continue reading →

Investigating fodder as a cash crop—a micro-enterprise for Indian dairy women
Animal Feeding / Cattle / FFD / Fodder / Forages / Gender / India / Pro-Poor Livestock / Project / South Asia / Women

Investigating fodder as a cash crop—a micro-enterprise for Indian dairy women

Posted on by • Leave a comment

ILRI is working with small-scale women dairy producers who are members of a large women’s dairy cooperative in the semi-arid Telengana state of India—the Mulkanoor Women’s Dairy Cooperative. The are growing sorghum for a cash fodder crop. Continue reading →

India’s Nagaland State launches AI scheme for pigs following the state’s landmark pig breeding policy
AHH / Animal Breeding / Film and video / ILRI / India / News clipping / Pigs / Pro-Poor Livestock / South Asia

India’s Nagaland State launches AI scheme for pigs following the state’s landmark pig breeding policy

Posted on by • Leave a comment

‘With per capita consumption of pork in Nagaland highest in the country, Nagaland Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services department has launched artificial insemination (AI) of pigs in the State on a pilot basis to boost pig production, double farmers’ income as also to eliminate diseases in pigs.The department launched the project in association with ILRI, ICAR-National Research Centre on Pigs, North East India Development Agency and Tata Trust. Continue reading →

Jimmy Smith in Australia makes the case for greater investments in pro-poor livestock development
Africa / Australia / Directorate / Food Security / ILRI / Interview / Opinion piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Research / South Asia / Southeast Asia / Vietnam

Jimmy Smith in Australia makes the case for greater investments in pro-poor livestock development

Posted on by • Leave a comment

The livestock sector plays a significant role in development, but Dr. Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute, says this is not reflected in official development assistance—which contributes less than 0.25 percent to livestock.

Jimmy Smith visited Australia between April 3 and April 7, as the last leg of a global trip. In each country, he pushed for greater ODA toward livestock sectors in the developing world. During his stay, Smith discussed his thoughts with Devex. Continue reading →

Small farms to the rescue—reducing hunger by increasing low yields
Africa / Agriculture / Article / Crops / Environment / Food Security / Intensification / Livelihoods / Nutrition / South Asia

Small farms to the rescue—reducing hunger by increasing low yields

Posted on by • Leave a comment

At the Global Landscapes Initiative in the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, our research focuses on increasing global food security while reducing harmful impacts from agriculture to Earth’s natural resources. We have found that one key strategy to combating food insecurity—lack of access to nutritious foods—is increasing food production on small farms. There are tremendous opportunities to increase yields throughout South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. . . . Continue reading →