Author Archives: Susan MacMillan

On selling insurance (not lottery tickets) to Africa’s struggling (stargazing) livestock herders–New York Times
Article / CCAFS / Climate Change / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livelihoods / LIVESTOCKFISH / Opinion Piece / Pastoralism / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Spotlight / Vulnerability

On selling insurance (not lottery tickets) to Africa’s struggling (stargazing) livestock herders–New York Times

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Insurance that pays out when forage coverage drops—known as index-based livestock insurance—is an elegant idea. Andrew Mude, an economist and principal scientist at ILRI, last month was awarded the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application. The award, a major prize in agricultural research, is given by the World Food Prize Foundation and financed by the Rockefeller Foundation. Tina Rosenberg covers the story in the New York Times. Continue reading →

Unpacking the tensions between the nutritional and economic goals of pro-poor livestock development
A4NH / Consumption / Directorate / Event Report / Food Safety / Food Security / FSZ / Gender / Human Health / ILRI / Markets / Nutrition / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight / Trade / Women / Zoonotic Diseases

Unpacking the tensions between the nutritional and economic goals of pro-poor livestock development

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Discussants at this event unpacked the tensions inherent between developing livestock markets to meet economic goals of the poor and meeting the nutritional needs of poor households raising livestock. Continue reading →

‘Meating’ in the middle on the ‘meat vs vegetarian’ diet debate at the climate change summit this week
Advocacy / CCAFS / Climate Change / Consumption / Directorate / Environment / GLAD / ILRI / ILRIComms / Mazingira / Opinion Piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS

‘Meating’ in the middle on the ‘meat vs vegetarian’ diet debate at the climate change summit this week

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What might seem like a silver bullet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions risks undermining other development goals such as ending hunger, improving health and eliminating poverty. We cannot ignore the important role that animal-source foods play, especially in developing countries, when we talk about tackling climate change. Instead we need to find a middle ground. Continue reading →

Honouring One Health Day–short video statement from Nobel Laureate and ILRI Patron Peter Doherty
Agri-Health / Directorate / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Environment / Epidemiology / Event / Film and Video / ILRI / Spotlight / Zoonotic Diseases

Honouring One Health Day–short video statement from Nobel Laureate and ILRI Patron Peter Doherty

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Peter Doherty, an Australian veterinarian surgeon and researcher working in the field of medicine, who with his colleague Rolf Zinkernagel won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1996 and who today serves as a patron of ILRI, also supports the integrated work—and the tearing down of disciplinary silos—that One Health approaches demand. Continue reading →

A first look at ILRI’s new research programs: Sustainable Livestock Systems
Climate Change / Drought / Drylands / Environment / ILRI / Intensification / NRM / Participation / Pastoralism / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Vulnerability

A first look at ILRI’s new research programs: Sustainable Livestock Systems

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BETTER SCIENCE, BETTER LIVES The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), headquartered in Africa and working in poor countries worldwide to provide better lives through livestock, held its Institute Planning Meeting from 4 to 7 Oct 2016. This is the sixth of a series of blog articles reporting on plans for ILRI research programs, including ILRI’s work in … Continue reading →

UN endorses recommendations on sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition, including the role of livestock
Advocacy / Animal Production / Consumption / Event Report / Food Security / FSZ / GLAD / ILRI / Intensification / Livelihoods / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

UN endorses recommendations on sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition, including the role of livestock

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The Policy Round Table of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), meeting in Rome on 17 Oct 2016, discussed the report on Sustainable Agricultural Development for Food Security and Nutrition: What Roles for Livestock? The report had been launched on 1 July in Rome and is now available in all of the UN languages. The Plenary Session of the Committee endorsed a set of recommendations, drafted during preliminary negotiations led by Ambassador Yaya Olaniran (Nigeria). Continue reading →

ILRI remarks to UN Committee on Food Security commending newly agreed livestock recommendations
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ILRI remarks to UN Committee on Food Security commending newly agreed livestock recommendations

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The following statement and question were delivered by Susan MacMillan on behalf of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) at the 43rd session of the Committee on World Food Security, held at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in Rome, 17–21 Oct 2016. Continue reading →

Kenyan accepts 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application at World Food Prize Event in Iowa
Africa / Animal Production / Award / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Drought / Drylands / Ethiopia / Food Security / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livelihoods / Pastoralism / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Spotlight

Kenyan accepts 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application at World Food Prize Event in Iowa

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Andrew Mude, an economist and principal scientist at ILRI, is being presented with the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application today, 12 Oct 2016, for his work leading an innovative livestock insurance program that employs satellite data to help protect livestock herding communities in the Horn of Africa from the devastating effects of drought. Continue reading →