Tag Archives: FAO

Africa / BecA / Biodiversity / Capacity Strengthening / Event / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Kenya / Opinion piece / Poultry / Women

Changing the face of agriculture in Africa–one (emerging woman) leader at a time

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CGIAR AWARD Fellow Sheila Ommeh, working at ILRI-BecA, gives a presentation on the importance of conserving and better using Africa’s native chicken breeds for World Bank vice president Rachel Kyte on 2 Feb 2012 at the World Agroforestry Centre (photo credit: ILRI/Susan MacMillan). The Huffington Post this week carries a blog by Sir Gordon Conway, professor of … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Health / Disease Control / ILRI / Livestock / Opinion piece / Research / Vaccines / West Africa

Priorities for researching livestock diseases in Africa

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For the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Oumar Diall, of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), reflects on ILRI’s animal health work in West Africa … In past years, most livestock research centered on three pillars: Animal health, animal reproduction and genetics, and animal nutrition. Fewer … Continue reading →

Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / Ethiopia / Food Security / Kenya / Pastoralism / Somalia / Sudan / Vulnerability

Keeping famine at bay in the Horn of Africa

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A young boy herds a flock of goats on the road to Wajir from Garissa in northeastern Kenya (photo on Flickr by Ann Weru/IRIN). Debora MacKenzie writes in New Scientist this week that low-key projects keep Horn of Africa famine at bay. ‘Drought in the Horn of Africa threatens 13 million people with starvation and is … Continue reading →

A4NH / Africa / Agri-Health / Animal Diseases / Asia / Capacity Strengthening / Emerging Diseases / Human Health / Livestock / South Asia / Southeast Asia / West Africa / Zoonotic Diseases

Strengthening laboratory capacity in response to emerging pandemic threats: FAO, OIE and WHO working together

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Early detection of zoonotic pathogens emerging in wild and domestic animal populations before they become a threat to human health is a priority for the public health and animal health sectors. An effective and credible laboratory service is an essential component of such early detection systems. As part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) … Continue reading →

A4NH / Agri-Health / Animal Diseases / Article / Food Safety / Trade / Zoonotic Diseases

Standard-setting organizations for safe livestock trade need to evolve and collaborate more closely to meet new challenges

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A new paper by by GK Bruckner, of South Africa, Ensuring safe international trade: how are the roles and responsibilities evolving and what will the situation be in ten years’ time?, outlines the changing and evolving roles and responsibilities in ensuring safe international trade in animals and animal products. Bruckner’s abstract follows. ‘The roles of the … Continue reading →

Animal Breeding / Biodiversity / Film and video / Genetics / Indigenous Breeds

FAO to finance national projects enhancing livestock diversity

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Livestock genetic diversity is key to global food security; this is the native black pig of the mountainous region of northern Vietnam (photo on Flickr by Rock Portrait Photography). ‘Germany, Norway and Switzerland have contributed a first donation of $1,000,000 to a new, FAO [United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization]-managed fund designed to help developing … Continue reading →

Bangladesh / India / Indigenous Breeds / PIM / Policy / Poultry / Pro-Poor Livestock / Report / South Asia

Backyard poultry keeping and poverty reduction in South Asia: Good practices and good returns

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A chicken forages beneath a farm cart in Brahampur (Arwa Village), in West Bengal, India, near drying patties of cow dung that will be used as cooking fuel (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). A South Asia Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Programme, a joint initiative of the National Dairy Development Board of India and the United Nations Food and … Continue reading →

Drought / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Report / Somalia / Vulnerability

Massive livestock deaths in drought-ravaged Horn of Africa increase conflicts and close schools

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Food shortages are affecting some 10 million people in the drought-ravaged Horn of Africa in July 2011;  Oxfam reports that in some parts of Kenya and Ethiopia, 60 percent or more of the livestock herds have perished (image credit: UNHCR and USAID). >>> The humanitarian news service IRIN reports yesterday on the severe drought ravaging the … Continue reading →

Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Indigenous Breeds / Livestock

Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to review progress in animal genetic resources

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The Thirteenth Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture will be held at FAO Headquarters in Rome from 18 – 22 July 2011. It will review progress made in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources. The following agenda items / documents are of particular relevance … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Buffalo / Cattle / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Livestock / Wildlife

FAO hosts meeting on buffalo and livestock diseases in Africa

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In June 2011, the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) hosted a meeting on buffalo in Africa. Presentations from the meeting are online, and include: Mapping African buffalo distributions, in relation to livestock disease risk Ecology and social organization of forest buffalo Spatiotemporal dynamics of forage and water resources shape space use … Continue reading →