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.
In June 2009, scientists of National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal have developed the landmark technique i.e. “Handguided Cloning Technique” and have produced the world’s first and second cloned buffalo calves. This technique is simpler and is an advanced modification of the “Conventional Cloning Technique” which was used for the production of the cloned sheep “Dolly”. … Continue reading
Climate has been central to much of the work of the CGIAR centres, variable and uncertain weather being one of the greatest challenges to small-scale farmers and other resource managers. New technologies and knowledge resulting from this work include hardier crops and better ways to manage trees, livestock, water, soil and fish. The CGIAR Challenge … Continue reading
China’s dairy industry is on the move if developments in Xingtang county in north China’s Hebei Province are anything to go by. Cows used to roam around rural houses there, but now they are being sent to the province’s 109 new dairy farms built this year. The county government has encouraged dairy farmers to set … Continue reading
Because of its effect on the environment, cattle must be given the same priority in global agendas as nuclear weapons, wars and, in particular, climate change, says Brazilian activist João Meirelles Filho, author of two books on Amazon deforestation. Cattle farming in Brazil is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, as it is responsible … Continue reading
Alan Duncan – leader of the IFAD-funded ‘Fodder Adoption Project’ at ILRI just launched a new blog to report on activities and developments in the project. Visit the blog at http://fodderadoption.wordpress.com/ Sign up for a regular update by email Continue reading
Every fortnight Makaitei Musakwa, 45, catches one of her chickens, picks up some of the maize she has grown, and sets off for the village mill to have the maize ground into mealie-meal, Zimbabwe’s staple food. “It is difficult for me to raise the money that the miller charges … I have nowhere to get … Continue reading
Pastoralists in parts of the semi-arid eastern region of Isiolo are abandoning their nomadic lifestyles in favour of farming to improve their food security and livelihoods. Successive droughts in arid and semi-arid parts of Kenya have led to livestock deaths, affected pastoralist nutrition and, in places, led to pastoralist drop-outs. Read more (IRIN: Humanitarian news … Continue reading
Our planet’s meat and dairy consumption needs careful consideration, but blanket advocacy for policy that opposes the production of livestock is unfortunately a bit short-sighted. Despite the negative associations livestock has gained in recent years–reports of damage to the environment, a number of public health risks, and its role in obesity–new studies reveal that livestock … Continue reading
A tense calm has been restored following clashes between pastoralists and farmers in central Nigeria’s Nasarawa State which left 32 people dead, scores of houses burned, and several farms destroyed, officials told IRIN. Violence erupted on 18 December when pastoralists attacked the farming village of Udeni Gida – two weeks after a clash with farmers … Continue reading
We’ve discussed research indicating that eating a less meat-intensive diet could reduce our contribution to global climate change as well as increase life expectancy by reducing heart disease risk. This is based on the reality that farming practices in wealthy nations are resource intensive, producing green house gasses in any number of ways. The fatty … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 