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.
Nairobi, 27-30 October 2014 hosts the 6th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture. The theme of the conference, ‘Africa’s Animal Agriculture: Macro-trends and future opportunities’ will be addressed in several sessions: Future of smallholder livestock systems in Africa Market access: domestic and regional trade for livestock and their products Market access: high value international markets … Continue reading
Nirja Bhatt, a silver medal winner in the 2013 Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Competition (photo credit: Purvi Mehta-Bhatt). Nirja Bhatt, a 16-year-old student at Navrachana International School Vadodara, in Gujurat, India, has won a Silver Award in the ‘senior’ category of this year’s Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Competition. This year’s topic, ‘Opportunity through Enterprise’, received more … Continue reading
Professor David Hume of The Roslin Institute recently reflected on the challenge to meet global demand for animal products whilst at the same time reducing the overall environmental impact. Writing on the Global Food Security blog, he explains how productivity in the livestock sector has massively increased, ‘through a combination of genetic improvement and better … Continue reading
This August issue of ‘Livestock Matter(s) presents a round-up of livestock development news, publications, presentations, images and upcoming events from ILRI and its partners. Download a print version – or sign up to get Livestock Matter(s) in your mailbox each month. Corporate news Ethiopian State Minister for Livestock Development visits ILRI Gebregziabher Gebreyohannes, newly appointed State Minister for Livestock Development … Continue reading
Value chain development (VCD) is increasingly seen as a way to stimulate economic growth, combat rural poverty and engage smallholders in agricultural development. It aims to facilitate the building of mutually beneficial links between smallholders and other chain actors, such as processors, exporters and retailers, who interact in the production and marketing of a given product. … Continue reading
I have just come back from Sapa, Vietnam, where I helped facilitate the launch meeting for the situational analysis of the CGIAR Humidtropics Research Program in northwest Vietnam. After the meeting, and to get a better idea of the situation of the farming systems we will be studying with our local research and development partners, I … Continue reading
Since September 2012, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has been hosting livestock live talks, a series of monthly seminars that address livestock-related matters, mobilize external as well as in-house expertise and audiences and engage the livestock community around interdisciplinary conversations. The series aims to ask hard questions and to help refine concepts and practices in livestock research … Continue reading
Livestock farmers in Africa struggle to access good quality inputs, effective knowledge and fair markets. Regulation of the livestock input sector is very weak in Kenya, allowing unqualified people to open shops selling veterinary pharmaceuticals; many of which are counterfeit or under-strength. This leads to extensive misuse of drugs through poor diagnosis and administration of products. … Continue reading
On 15 and 16 August 2013 the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) organized the launch meeting for situational analysis work in northwest Vietnam of the CGIAR Humidtropics research program. Jo Cadilhon represented the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in the meeting and helped facilitate the process. He reports on the outcomes. Humidtropics aims to help poor farm families, … Continue reading
Farmers throughout the world benefit greatly from having access to extension and advisory services (EAS). The EAS landscape in most countries is diverse and typically described as “pluralistic”: not only are there many different types of providers (public sector, private for profit, NGOs and CSOs, farmer-based organizations , …) but also different models and approaches … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 