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.
This article reports on market participation and producers’ knowledge of the indigenous livestock grading and pricing system applied to small ruminant marketing in Somaliland. Results confirmed the importance of small ruminants as sources of income in producer households. Knowledge about the grading system was generally widespread, and this was important for market participation. Factors that … Continue reading
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as goat plague, is a highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats. The disease causes heavy losses especially in goats and has been described as one of the most damaging livestock diseases in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. On 7 October 2015, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and FAO held a joint workshop with veterinary service providers in Kenya on the socio-economic study of PPR. Continue reading
As part of a global event by CGIAR Centers, Programs and Partners, Tadelle Dessie from the ACGG project recorded a message on Periscope TV ahead of World Food Day. Continue reading
The July–August 2015 issue of ‘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. Download a print version or sign up to get Livestock Matter(s) in your mailbox each month. Continue reading
This paper from the World Bank uses a stochastic dynamic programming model to characterize the optimal savings-consumption decisions and the role of livestock inventories as a buffer stock in rural Ethiopia. Continue reading
This paper from the World Bank explores whether ownership of various livestock species increases consumption of animal source foods and helps improve child nutritional status. Continue reading
Brachiaria grass is helping Kenyan farmers boost their dairy production and alleviate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and ground water pollution. Continue reading
The ‘innovation platforms approach’ is an effective way of establishing systematic interactions among stakeholders in the agricultural sector by stimulating technical, institutional and organizational innovations in agricultural value chains. Researchers from the University of Bonn, Germany, ILRI and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), tested the effectiveness of a dairy innovation platform that is trying to improve farmers’ access to cattle feeds in Tanzania. Continue reading
Greater awareness on the health benefits of milk and dairy products is needed to raise their consumption in Tanzania. Continue reading
This week, from 23 to 25 September 2015, the Eastern and Southern Africa Dairy Association in collaboration with dairy industry stakeholders will be hosting the 11th African Dairy Conference and Exhibition in Nairobi, Kenya. Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 