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 following are excerpts of an opinion piece written by Monique Eloit, director general of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on ‘Keeping animals healthy can help keep people healthy too, and development on track’. Continue reading
The following excerpts are taken from an opinion piece on Brachiaria grass for livestock feed published by An Notenbaert, tropical forages coordinator for Africa at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and published by Business Daily (Kenya) and the CIAT Blog. Continue reading
On 30 May 2017, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) held a science seminar at ILRI’s campus in Nairobi on delivering climate change options for the region. Participants shared knowledge and discussed best practices—and persistent gaps—in climate change adaptation and mitigation options for East Africa’s millions of small-scale food producers. Continue reading
The integration, inclusivity and the development of a high level roadmap for the delivery of local solutions to challenges facing the livestock sector were the key themes emerging from the last day of discussion at the seventh multi-stakeholder partnership meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) in Addis Ababa, last week (8–12 May 2017). Continue reading
‘Livestock Matter(s)’ provides a round-up of livestock development news, publications, presentations, images and upcoming events from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and its partners. Continue reading
In 2016, the United Nations issued a report highlighting the centrality of the livestock sector to the food sector and the promotion of sustainable development. Driven by population and economic growth, particularly in Africa, demand for livestock products is expected to increase by about 70% in the coming 30 years. No longer constrained by weak domestic demand on the continent, the sector in Africa today still faces many challenges which require long-term planning, coordination and investment. The development and implementation of roadmaps for livestock sector in Africa have the capacity to drive sustained economic growth, inclusive social and human development, and an efficient use of natural resources. Continue reading
A review paper just published online tells us more than (we might have thought) we’d like to know about how poultry production, conducted on small scales and in poor settings, affects food security. The review appears in Global Food Security (available online 2 May 2017). Continue reading
The 7th multi-stakeholder partnership meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock kicked off on Monday in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The four-day meeting, which attracted more than 250 livestock specialists from 50 countries, aims to strengthen the role of livestock in supporting livelihoods, producing safe food and protecting the environment. It focuses on demonstrating the positive contribution of livestock to the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the world, and fostering the sustainable development of the rapidly growing sector. Continue reading
Yesterday, 8 May 2017, Henning Steinfeld delivered a keynote presentation—Multiple Benefits from Sustainable Livestock—to some 300 participants on the first of a five-day 7th Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock. Continue reading
Today, the 7th Multi-stakeholder Partnership meeting of the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock brings together more than 250 livestock specialists from over 50 countries to demonstrate the positive contribution of livestock to the lives and wellbeing of hundreds of millions of people on the planet, and foster the sustainable development of this rapidly-growing sector. Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 