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.
According to an article in the Ecologist (limited access content): “Meat, dairy… in fact, livestock in general has in recent years joined the ranks of the 4×4 and the short-haul flight. But could a change in the way we graze animals not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but even remove them from the atmosphere?” Read … Continue reading
This report by Omar Hassan el Dirani of Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Sudan, Mohammad A Jabbar, ILRI former staff and Babiker Idris Babiker, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Khartoum, on Constraints in the market chains for export of Sudanese sheep and sheep meat to the Middle East was released on 15 September, … Continue reading
This Discussion paper by Notenbaert A., Herrero M., Kruska R., You L., Wood S., Thornton P., Omolo A. on Classifying livestock production systems for targeting agricultural research and development in a rapidly changing world was released on 15 September, 2009. A myriad of agricultural and livestock production systems co-exist in the developing countries. Agricultural research … Continue reading
A recent article in CNN reports that “dietary additives are showing great signs in reducing methane from cows.” Much has been made of the problem of livestock emissions of methane — a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 — but a solution might be just around the corner. Room here for both of us? … Continue reading
A group of veteran and upcoming women scientists in Kenya under AWARD (African Women in Agricultural Research and Department) programme have urged African leaders and US policy makers to put women at the centre of efforts to address hunger and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. During the recent visit by US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton … Continue reading
There is a possibility that drought-like conditions will help dairy sector in Gujarat to register higher production of milk, revealed a recent study conducted by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Read more … (Indian Express) Continue reading
Roche and Google.org recently started a joint project to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a multidisciplinary surveillance, research and response system. This system will enhance the ability to predict and prevent emerging infectious diseases in East Africa. Roche has donated a Genome Sequencer FLX system as backbone of this project.“We are proud to work with … Continue reading
There was a time in Africa when elders would “talk” to the drought and negotiate their way into receiving rainfall. With their unique understanding of causation, elders would either sacrifice a black sheep or ask a virgin girl to bathe in a lake in order to draw the attention of the rain gods. Would that … Continue reading
With enormous sadness, the CIMMYT community and its many valued partners and supporters gather in spirit to mourn the passing of Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of the Green Revolution, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, former CIMMYT wheat scientist, and the man whose work saved millions from starvation. Borlaug led a group of foreign scientists who … Continue reading
The sun somehow feels closer here, more intense, more personal. As Philip Lolua waits under a tree for a scoop of food, heat waves dance up from the desert floor, blurring the dead animal carcasses sprawled in front of him. A Devastating Drought Sweeps Across Kenya Children waited in Lokori for aid last month. Communities … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 