Category Archives: Agriculture

Towards clearer One Health policies in eastern Africa: Interview with HEAL Project interim regional manager
Africa / Agriculture / AHH / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Capacity Strengthening / Disease Control / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / English / Environment / Ethiopia / Gender / Human Health / ILRI / Interview / Kenya / Livelihoods / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / OneHealth / Pastoralism / Policy / Resilience / Somalia / Vaccines

Towards clearer One Health policies in eastern Africa: Interview with HEAL Project interim regional manager

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In November 2020, Zuleka Ismail joined the One Health for Humans, Environment, Animals and Livelihoods (HEAL) Project as interim regional manager. Zuleka brings more than seven years of experience in managing and monitoring public health and veterinary programs in pastoralist systems to the table. She sat down with Saba Ermyas, communication officer at the International … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Article / Capacity Strengthening / CGIAR / Countries / East Africa / English / Ethiopia / Event Report / Impact / Impact at Scale / Livelihoods / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / Research / Scaling

ILRI Impact at Scale program shares insights on scaling tools and practices with CGIAR science leaders and GIZ scaling experts

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This post was written by Murat Sartas and Saba Ermyas, and edited by Paul Karaimu. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Impact at Scale (I@S) program recently share examples for identifying, analysing and integrating scaling tools into agricultural research for development programs.   At an October 2020 scaling webinar for the science leaders community, which was co-organised by GIZ Task Force on Scaling and CGIAR Science … Continue reading →

Four ILRI fellows attend World Food Prize symposium (virtually)
Advocacy / Agriculture / BecA / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / Communications / Event / ILRI / Livestock / Policy

Four ILRI fellows attend World Food Prize symposium (virtually)

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Four fellows from the International Livestock Research Institute’s (ILRI) CapDev Grand Challenge attended this year’s virtual World Food Prize symposium from 12–16 Oct. The symposium addresses cutting-edge issues in food security and nutrition. Continue reading →

From framework to implementation: ILRI Impact at Scale program publishes first scaling readiness analysis on livestock innovations
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Feeding / Capacity Strengthening / English / Feeds / Fodder / Gender / Impact / Impact at Scale / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / News clipping / Pigs / Scaling / Uganda / Value Chains

From framework to implementation: ILRI Impact at Scale program publishes first scaling readiness analysis on livestock innovations

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The Impact at Scale (I@S) program of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has published the ‘Scaling Readiness report and scaling plan for training and certification approach for small-scale pig producers in Uganda.’ This is the first of a series of Scaling Readiness reports and scaling plans being prepared by the institute. The publications in … Continue reading →

Updated CGIAR feed database provides best-cost livestock feed rations for sub-Saharan Africa
Agriculture / Animal Feeding / Ethiopia / Feed Technology / Feeds / FFD / Fodder / Forages / Kenya

Updated CGIAR feed database provides best-cost livestock feed rations for sub-Saharan Africa

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Containing the nutritive values of over 44,000 forage and fodder samples, the updated CGIAR feed database can be accessed by researchers, development agents and agricultural extension workers in Africa including farmers, who can use this information to design accurate and scientifically based best-cost livestock rations. Continue reading →

A new study gives insights on Napier (elephant) grass, a fast-growing tropical grass
Agriculture / Feeds / Fodder / Forages / Genetics / Livestock Productivity / LIVESTOCKCRP / Science paper / Species

A new study gives insights on Napier (elephant) grass, a fast-growing tropical grass

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Using a combination of short-read sequencing, single-molecule long-read sequencing and Hi-C chromosome conformation capture technologies scientists were able to assemble a chromosome scale genome of elephant grass and found an abundance of information. Continue reading →

International Livestock Research Institute becomes Global Landscapes Forum charter member
Advocacy / Agriculture / Biodiversity / Climate Change / Communications / Drylands / Emerging Diseases / Environment / Food Security / Project / Rangelands / Zoonotic Diseases

International Livestock Research Institute becomes Global Landscapes Forum charter member

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(BONN, 12 October 2020) – Over half a billion people in developing countries depend to some extent on farm animals for their livelihoods. Animal-sourced food also plays an important role in nutrition, through providing readily-available proteins and micronutrients. But animal agriculture is also implicated in global environmental challenges such as deforestation and climate change—and pressing … Continue reading →

When numbers lie
Advocacy / Agriculture / Biodiversity / Climate Change / Data / Drylands / East Africa / Environment / Film and Video / ILRI / Kapiti / Kenya / LIVESTOCKCRP / Mazingira

When numbers lie

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Tom Dowling led a team that built a land surface temperature validation site at the ILRI Kapiti Research Station in August 2018. He spoke about some of the lessons he’s learned since then with host Simon Clark on Brilliant, a YouTube science channel. Continue reading →

A 1,000-year-old ‘Evolutionary Jolt’ helped African cattle adapt to the continent’s multiple challenges
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Breeds / Indigenous Breeds / Launch / Livestock / Livestock Productivity / LIVESTOCKCRP / LivestockGenetics / Pastoralism / Science paper

A 1,000-year-old ‘Evolutionary Jolt’ helped African cattle adapt to the continent’s multiple challenges

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A new study in Nature Genetics retraced 1,000 years of African pastoralist cattle breeding, identifying how cattle acquired the traits that enabled them to spread throughout the continent NAIROBI, Kenya (30 Sep 2020)— Scientists sifting through the DNA of indigenous African cattle breeds announced today the discovery of a thousand-year-old ‘admixture event’ between the world’s … Continue reading →