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.
The Livestock-Climate Change CRSPs latest program brief, “Livestock, Climate Change, and Nutrition: Leveraging Livestock to Improve Livelihoods,” describes how livestock research in West Africa, East Africa, and Central Asia is contributing to improving nutrition and health for families and communities. While agricultural production throughout the world has increased, malnutrition and poor health remain a problem … Continue reading
FARM-Africa recently announced that it has received funding to develop the first franchise business model that will establish a chain of new veterinary stores to provide quality, accessible and affordable livestock services including clinical services, veterinary drugs, farm inputs, animal feeds and artificial insemination in Africa. Through a US$5m grant from the Bill & Melinda … Continue reading
In March 2011, Addis Ababa will be host to conference on the future of pastoralism in Africa. The Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) and the Feinstein International Center of Tufts University are hosting this academic conference to critically reflect on the future of pastoralism in Africa and to share new learning from the dynamics of change … Continue reading
This working paper by Tesfaye Desalew, Azage Tegegne, Lisanework Nigatu and Worku Teka on Rangeland condition and feed resources in Metema district, North Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia was released on 10 January, 2011. It focuses on a study conducted in 2006/07 in Metema district, North Gondar Zone of Amhara region, Ethiopia, with the objectives … Continue reading
A move from industrial farming towards local food projects is our healthiest, most sustainable choice, says Worldwatch Institute The key to alleviating world hunger, poverty and combating climate change may lie in fresh, small-scale approaches to agriculture, according to a report from the Worldwatch Institute. The US-based institute’s annual State of the World report, published … Continue reading
A youth with his weeding tool sets out to tend to his sorghum crop in Katanga Village, near Fakara, in Niger (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). Africa’s agricultural sector experiences many of the impacts of climate change even though the continent is a minor contributor of greenhouse gases. African leaders and governments are part of on-going global … Continue reading
Churning of the Sea of Milk is the most famous bas-relief at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. It depicts an episode from the Vishnu mythology. The gods, because of a curse from the sage Durvasa, begin to lose their immortality. Assisted by their mortal enemies the asuras, they churn the ocean (which was made of milk in … Continue reading
Canned dairy products are now for sale, along with fresh milk and live chickens and goats, at Maputo’s once solely traditional and ‘wet’ Xipamamime market, in Mozambique (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). More good news on the development front. We previously reported here (Here be dragons, 2 January 2011) progress being made by Viet Nam and Ghana … Continue reading
In November 2010, more than 50 pastoralists, politicians, donors and researchers met in Kenya to discuss the place of nomadic livestock keeping in national development, recent research findings and future policy options. Unusually, the meeting took place not in a conference centre but under an acacia tree, on the edge of a national park – … Continue reading
The Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa publishes articles on original research relevant to animal health and production activities which may lead to the improvement of the livestock industry in Africa and better utilisation of her animal resources. The September 2010 issue is now online; contents include: Pan African Strategy for the Progressive … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 