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.
Each year a million cows in Africa die from East Coast fever. The disease is spread by tick bites. Young cows are most at risk; they can die within days. Farmers and herders can lose up to half or more of their calves to East Coast fever. The disease is widespread in eleven countries. And … Continue reading
Currently, 90 per cent of meat eaten in East Africa comes from pastoralists, who move with their flocks and herds in search of grazing and water. Pius Sawa discovers just how the meat gets from those pastures to his plate. It’s an amazing journey. Read (and listen) … (AGFAX) Continue reading
In East Africa, drought has caused terrible losses, with cattle dying in large numbers. Now, some livestock keepers have decided to conduct a drought survey, to find out what they could have done to be better prepared. Kofi Adu Domfeh visited some of those who took part, to find out how useful such community-driven research … Continue reading
Milk demand is growing by 15 per cent while supply has been increasing by only 3 to 4 per cent in the country. Managing Director Tetra Pak Pakistan, Azhar Ali Syed at the launching ceremony of the first Dairy Hub of Pakistan in Kassowal, district Sahiwal said Pakistan’s dairy sector is at an important crossroad. … Continue reading
A US$19.5 million loan and a US$19.5 million grant from IFAD to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia will support the delivery of basic social services to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country – pastoralists and their families. After the success of its first phase, the Pastoral Community Development Project … Continue reading
According to the Cattlesite, a new report in the medical journal The Lancet has called for a 30 per cent reduction in livestock production to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet the UK emission targets for 2030. According to the Farmers Guardian, the UK Government has been slammed by critics over the report: “The controversy … Continue reading
Selling milk from dairy cows and goats can be an excellent business for small-scale farmers. Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has established a project in three East African countries, which aims to double the income of one million rural people, through small-scale dairying. Dr Amos Omore from the International Livestock Research Institute explains … Continue reading
Launching the ‘Millions Fed’ book in Addis Ababa yesterday, Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development H.E Ato Tefera Derebew congratulated IFPRI and the authors: “It is good that we have best practices identified and that we have menus that help us choose what suits our situation.” He also noted that Ethiopia has many best … Continue reading
Investment in agriculture is soaring. So, worryingly, is distrust of markets and trade At the height of the food-price spike in 2008, many of the biggest food producers banned the export of crops (they sought to cushion the domestic impact of rising world prices). Most of these restrictions have been lifted and replaced by a … Continue reading
With growing demand in Africa for dairy products, much work is being done by scientists and farmers to improve milk production. But what is important in ensuring high milk production? Is it the breed of cow or the feed it is given? Pastoralist Albert Kuseyo, dairy expert Dr. Amos Omore, and Gerald Besseling, a farmer … Continue reading
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