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.
With infectious diseases widely regarded as the major constraint to agricultural and animal development as well as human health and well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, scientists have realized the need for common strategy towards managing diseases in Africa. For the first time, experts in the three sectors; humans, animals and plants met in Kampala to plan … Continue reading
In May 2008, the British Society of Animal Science, INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique), the European Association for Animal Production, ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) and many other partners and sponsors, organised a conference on Livestock and Global Climate Change, held at Hammamet, Tunisia in May 2008. The … Continue reading
There is strong evidence to suggest that climate change has, and will continue to affect the occurrence, distribution and prevalence of livestock diseases in Great Britain (GB). This paper reviews how climate change could affect livestock diseases in GB. Factors influenced by climate change and that could affect livestock diseases include the molecular biology of … Continue reading
This ILRI learning module by Ponniah Anandajayasekeram and Ranjitha Puskur on Strengthening partnerships and networks in agricultural research for development was released on 16 March, 2010. The design of the learning module includes guidance notes for potential trainers including learning purpose and objectives for each session; description of the session structure (including methods, techniques, time … Continue reading
For many developing countries, natural resource management is still the single most important aspect of the lives, livelihoods, and survival of rural communities. Poor and marginalized people are usually directly dependent upon environmental services. Forests provide firewood, building materials, and a host of foods and medicines. Functional grasslands provide grazing for livestock. Streams and rivers … Continue reading
The annual spectacular migration of over one million wildebeest across the Serengeti and Masai Mara in Kenya and Tanzania, presents two sides of the coin, in that this migration is a beautiful sight to behold, but with it comes disease and death to the pastoralist livestock. …Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is transmitted from wildebeest to … Continue reading
From equity and livelihood perspectives, livestock rearing must be at the centre stage of poverty alleviation programmes. Livestock rearing is a key livelihood and risk mitigation strategy for small and marginal farmers, particularly across the rain-fed regions of India. Livestock products comprised 32 per cent of the total value of agriculture and allied activities in … Continue reading
A new report by an international research team explores the impact of the global livestock industry on the environment, the economy and human health. “The livestock industry is massive and growing,” said Harold A. Mooney, co-editor of the two-volume report, Livestock in a Changing Landscape (Island Press). Mooney is a professor of biology and senior … Continue reading
In Late 2009, the US National Academies launched a report calling for “a comprehensive, globally coordinated system to identify novel zoonotic disease threats as early as possible wherever they arise so appropriate measures can be taken to prevent significant numbers of human illnesses and deaths, and livestock losses.” The report argues that “zoonotic diseases are … Continue reading
An Observer investigation reveals how rich countries faced by a global food shortage now farm an area double the size of the UK to guarantee supplies for their citizens. Read more … (The Guardian) Continue reading
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