Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), gave a keynote presentation at the 16th Asian Australasian Animal Production Congress, held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 10–14 Nov 2014. The overall theme of the congress was ambitious: ‘Sustainable livestock production in the perspective of food security, policy, genetic resources and climate change’. Smith’s plenary keynote, given as part of a series of ILRI activities to mark the 40-year anniversary of the institute, was titled ‘Livestock policy paradoxes: Promulgating a crisis? Or providing a solution?’ Continue reading
Category Archives: Agriculture
Help smallholders protect their environments and adapt to climate change––IFAD president challenges livestock researchers
In his keynote address to the ILRI@40 conference on the first morning, Kanayo Nwanze, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), highlighted high-priority areas where livestock research can make the greatest contribution to poverty reduction and better food security in future. Continue reading
Small farmers and big retailing: What works? What doesn’t? in developing countries
What, or who, is a smallholder farmer? What is the ongoing retail revolution in developing countries all about? Are small-scale farmers involved? Two agricultural economists, Derek Baker, formerly of ILRI and now at the University of New England (UNE), in Australia, and Jo Cadilhon, of ILRI, help us think this through in a presentation they made at the GLOBALG.A.P. Summit in Abu Dhabi this week. Continue reading
UK animal health conference celebrates the lifeworks of immunologist Declan McKeever
Oct 2014 UK conference to celebrate the life’s work of Declan MKeever, former livestock immunologist at ILRAD and ILRI Continue reading
A major presentation on ‘the power of livestock’ to transform today’s resource-scarce agricultural lands
A major presentation was made at a special side event at the Borlaug Dialogue, in Iowa, on 15 Oct 2014. The side event was hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) as part of a series marking ILRI’s 40-year anniversary this year. The presentation was made by Chris Delgado, who in 1999 led ground-breaking studies showing that a ‘Livestock Revolution’ was taking place in the global South. Continue reading
ILRI@40: Video note on One Health research priorities in Southeast Asia
In this short film (1:17 mins), Hung Nguyen, a food safety scientist with ILRI in Vietnam, reflects on a recent discussion at a regional workshop on livestock and One Health that identified research priorities in Southeast Asia for the next 40 years. Continue reading
ILRI@40: Filmed interview with M S Swaminathan on synergies between technology and public policy in India
In this 4-minute film, Purvi Mehta-Bhatt from ILRI in India talks with MS Swaminathan on the establishment of ILRI its contributions to synergies between livestock research and public policy in India, especially in supporting the country’s dairy production. Continue reading
This week ILRI hosts a major conference in Nairobi on livestock-based options for development
On Wednesday 1 Oct 2014, ILRI will host a high-profile conference in Nairobi on livestock’s contribution to sustainable food and nutritional security, economic well-being and healthy lives. Continue reading
Getting agriculture ‘back on the table’: CGIAR Development Dialogues today in New York
Scientists, politicians and donor agents are gathering today at a high-level meeting in New York called CGIAR Development Dialogues. The aim of CGIAR, a global alliance of agricultural science for a food-secure future, in hosting this conference is to sharpen the world’s attention on the vital roles of agriculture, livestock, fisheries, landscapes and food systems in sustainable development. Continue reading
Livestock innovation systems: Research contributions from ILRI over the decades
In this presentation, given at the Tropentag 2014 conference, Ann Waters-Bayer, a former ILRI researcher, looks back on her experiences of working with ILCA/ILRI, the impact of livestock innovation systems research and its role in driving development processes that improve the livelihoods of rural and urban resource-poor families. Continue reading