For people living in absolute poverty and chronic hunger, the solution is not to rid the world of livestock, but to find ways to farm animals more efficiently and more sustainably
We need to conserve the most important livestock genetic diversity for possible future use – by poor and rich farmers alike
Livestock feed is a key constraint to the commercialization of smallholder livestock production
While vaccines remain the most cost-effective medical and veterinary interventions for controlling disease, opportunities also exist to improve animal health by improving existing veterinary services and access by poor livestock keepers to those services
Mixed crop-and-livestock farms will, more than the traditional breadbaskets and rice bowls of the past, feed the developing world over the next few decades
Human, livestock and environmental health are inextricably linked, Sixty-one per cent of all diseases are ‘zoonotic’ –that is, transmissible between animals and humans.
Making smallholder production more competitive is a powerful tool to reduce poverty, raise nutrition levels and improve the livelihoods of rural people in many developing countries
Expert opinion agrees that the best way to tap into the potential of the drylands is to build on the foundation of their livestock economies rather than ignoring them or seeking to replace them.
‘Genetic alteration on indigenous livestock breeds aimed at improving their productivity must incorporate pastoralists and small holder farmers at all levels. ‘The concern was raised by experts in the livestock sector who fear that unregulated cross breeding poses a formidable threat to the survival of local breeds and their habitat. ‘At the same time, custodians … Continue reading
Swedish aid and diplomatic colleagues at the official launch of the Bio-Innovate Program in March at ILRI, with Claes Kjellström, representative of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) at the Embassy of Sweden in Nairobi (middle); Kikki Nordin, Regional Team Leader of SIDA’s Environment and Economic Development department (left); and Björn Häggmark, Deputy Head of Mission at … Continue reading
A project funded by the Wellcome Trust on zoonotic diseases was broadcast on an Australian television program called ‘Catalyst’ on 10 March 2011. The research described in the program is supported by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), where the project’s principal investigator, Eric Fevre, is hosted. The television program interviews Fevre and his colleagues … Continue reading
The world’s food system is failing half of the people on the planet. That’s the disturbing conclusion of the Global Farming & Futures Report, which synthesizes findings collected from more than 400 scientists and 34 countries. The British government’s Department for Business Innovation & Skills published the document in January. ‘Economic inequality among nations and … Continue reading
Australia needs to invigorate its livestock enterprises in the tropics and boost its national and international agricultural services to keep up with growing demand, says expert in the research and development community. According to Dr Greg Harper, Deputy Chief of CSIRO’s Division of Livestock Industries, Australian livestock products are increasingly sought-after from both established and … Continue reading
Gilbert arap Bor, a small-scale farmer and member of the Truth about Trade & Technology Global Farmer Network, makes an argument in the Daily Nation (Kenya) for letting farmers here grow genetically modified crops. ‘The season of Lent is upon us–the time of year when Christians around the world prepare for Easter through prayer, charity, and … Continue reading
Poster announcing the official launch of the Bi-Innovate Program at ILRI (photo credit: ILRI). SciDev.Dev this week reports on the official launch of a new biosciences hub operating in Nairobi, Kenya, and serving 6 countries in East Africa. ‘A hub to connect and fund East African agricultural researchers, and assist them in reaching out to … Continue reading
As Chinese researchers reveal they have created genetically modified cows that produce “humanised” milk, ‘The Telegraph’ answers some of the key questions in the GM food debate. Read more … (Daily Telegraph) Continue reading
A sheep grazing on grass in West Yorkshire (photo credit: Richard Carter’s Flickr Photostream). Reuters reports this week that research funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) shows that changing the diets of the country’s cows and sheep could reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, which cause global warming. ‘Feeding … Continue reading
The February 2011 issue of the journal International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability contains a series of case studies from Africa on ‘sustainable agricultural intensification’ -“defined as producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts and at the same time increasing contributions to natural capital and the flow of environmental … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 