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.
A specialist cattle-breeding association is to run an exhibition next month to promote a new breed of livestock it says will give a boost to Cambodia’s beef trade. The Cambodian Brahman Breeders’ Association (CBBA) said it wants to encourage farmers to raise high-yield, internationally renowned Brahman cattle for domestic sale, maximising potential profits for rural … Continue reading
The Independent examines the expansion of human diseases that originated in animals. “At least 45 diseases that have passed from animals to humans have been reported to U.N. agencies in the last two decades, with the number expected to escalate in the coming years,” the Independent writes. Read more … (Medical News) Continue reading
This Status Report by Orville L Bondoc on Status of postgraduate training in the livestock sector in Southeast Asia and priorities for ILRI’s support was released on 30 December, 2009. In order to establish the priorities for collaborative capacity strengthening activities of the learning institutes in the areas of animal production and veterinary services, ILRI … Continue reading
To cope and compete in this rapidly-changing world, organisations need to access and apply new knowledge. While explicit knowledge is important, what is often critical is an organisation’s ability to create, access, share and apply the tacit or un-codified knowledge that exists among its members, its network and the wider innovation system of which it … Continue reading
Bone dry, dusty and windy, the vast plains outside Arusha are often a sight of despair and hopelessness during the height of the dry season. Such was the situation in most of the Maasailand for the past one year. The dreadful situation was too obvious even for travellers along the Great North Road; Arusha- Namanga … Continue reading
An animal ‘black death’ that has devastated livestock around the world for thousands of years, causing famine and untold human misery, is about to be permanently consigned to the history books. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is confident that rinderpest is beaten after being at the centre of efforts to wipe out … Continue reading
They may look innocent, but Australia’s cows and sheep are together one of the largest contributors to our country’s overall carbon emissions. Australian scientists and farmers are currently collaborating in the hope of implementing strategies that will make the livestock industry more sustainable. With the support of a $26.8 million dollar research grant from the … Continue reading
As the world awaits the outcome of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, the Australian beef industry is researching new ways to reduce methane emissions in cattle by 50 per cent by 2030. Read more … (Beef CRC, Australia) Continue reading
The Rainfed Livestock Network (RLN) together with the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) organised a workshop entitled, “Fodder, feed and grazing issues of Livestock Keepers with specific reference to CPRs”, from 8-9th October 2009 at New Delhi. The focus of the workshop was on synthesizing lessons from the case studies/programmes undertaken by different organizations across … Continue reading
This Status Report by Adama Traore on Status of postgraduate training in the livestock sector in West and Central Africa and priorities for ILRI’s support was released on 26 December, 2009. Research-based capacity strengthening is one of the priority activities of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The mission of ILRI’s Capacity Strengthening Unit (CaSt) … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 