Category Archives: Climate Change

Climate-smart livestock farming in developing countries is boosted by a £10-million research award
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Article / Award / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Breeds / Cattle / Chickens / Climate Change / CTLGH / Directorate / Genetics / Goats / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Pro-Poor Livestock / Project / Research / Sheep / Small Ruminants / Spotlight / UK

Climate-smart livestock farming in developing countries is boosted by a £10-million research award

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Researchers at the Roslin Institute will be using funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to investigate how genetic information can improve the health and productivity of farmed animals in tropical climates, which is a proven approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health is an alliance between the Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the Africa-headquartered International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The partner institutions are making additional contributions with a value of £10 million to support the initiative over the next five years. Continue reading →

Mixing it up—The information ‘black hole’ on crop+animal recipes for climate-smart and climate-resilient farms
Africa / Agriculture / Article / CCAFS / Climate Change / Crop-Livestock / Farming Systems / Food Security / ILRI / Opinion Piece / Pro-Poor Livestock / Research / SLS / Spotlight / Vulnerability

Mixing it up—The information ‘black hole’ on crop+animal recipes for climate-smart and climate-resilient farms

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We are unaware of any comprehensive studies undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa to explore how mixed farms will be affected by climate change and the cost and benefits of different adaptation options. Underestimating the importance of livestock in the mixed’ smallholder farming systems that are ubiquitous across the developing world weakens both emissions reduction and climate change adaptation efforts. Continue reading →

Kenya’s native goats and sheep, expertly crossbred, are key to helping farmers cope with climate change
Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Article / Breeds / CCAFS / Climate Change / East Africa / Genetics / Goats / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Kenya / LiveGene / Livestock / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Kenya’s native goats and sheep, expertly crossbred, are key to helping farmers cope with climate change

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Smallholder farmers and pastoral herders in East Africa are the target of an ongoing joint project of ILRI, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Continue reading →

Livestock at Expo Milano 2015: Three initiatives for a more sustainable and equitable sector put their heads together
Animal Production / Climate Change / Directorate / Event Report / Food Security / ILRI / Livestock Systems / Spotlight

Livestock at Expo Milano 2015: Three initiatives for a more sustainable and equitable sector put their heads together

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What follows are the key findings and conclusions of the workshop above, which was co-organized by the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, (FOAG), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Continue reading →

Tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century–The Lancet
A4NH / Animal Diseases / Article / Climate Change / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / FSZ / Human Health / ILRI / Spotlight / Zoonotic Diseases

Tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century–The Lancet

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The 2015 Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change was been formed to map out the impacts of climate change and the necessary policy responses. The central finding from the Commission’s work is that tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century. One of the authors of the paper is ILRI veterinary epidemiologist and food safety expert Delia Grace, of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Continue reading →

Climate change impacts on livestock: ‘This information does not exist’
Africa / Books and Chapters / CCAFS / Climate Change / Food Security / ILRI / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight

Climate change impacts on livestock: ‘This information does not exist’

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A new working paper from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has been published on the impacts of climate change on livestock across Africa. Lead author of the new paper, Philip Thornton, is a scientist with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Continue reading →

New paper explodes a ‘breadbasket’ myth: African food production for African people, please
Agriculture / Article / CCAFS / Climate Change / Food Security / Humid Tropics / ILRI / Intensification / Opinion Piece / SLS / Spotlight / West Africa / Wildlife

New paper explodes a ‘breadbasket’ myth: African food production for African people, please

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‘Africa could be on the brink of an agricultural revolution. Political commitment to the sector is thankfully gaining momentum as an effective route to bring African populations out of hunger and poverty. But there is also talk that the region’s potential croplands should feed the rest of the world as well, in addition to providing vast quantities of biofuels. However, a new scientific paper released this week suggests African countries should cast global requests aside and instead focus on staple crop production to feed the continent first.’ Continue reading →

African Animal Annals: Deadly trifecta of climate change, population and disease?
A4NH / Africa / Agri-Health / Bird flu / Books and Chapters / Climate Change / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / FSZ / Human Health / ILRI / RVF / Spotlight / Zoonotic Diseases

African Animal Annals: Deadly trifecta of climate change, population and disease?

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All fine artwork on this page is by Olivia Pendergast (see note below for more information). In the last quarter of 2014 a book was published and launched on climate change and public health. Edited by Colin Butler, of the University of Canberra, and published by CABI, the book brings together 56 authors from 19 … Continue reading →

Livestock and climate change: Where the BIG opportunities lie
Article / CCAFS / Climate Change / ILRI / Livelihoods / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight / Vulnerability

Livestock and climate change: Where the BIG opportunities lie

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Agricultural management can do only so much to increase the resilience, diversification and risk management of the developing world’s livestock-keeping communities. Their successful adaptation to climate change depends heavily also on their being supported by enabling policy and other environments. What that in turn depends on is reliable evidence of just how big a difference livestock adaptations can make to household incomes and food security provided in timely ways and appropriate formats. Continue reading →

Help smallholders protect their environments and adapt to climate change––IFAD president challenges livestock researchers
Agriculture / Climate Change / Ethiopia / Food Security / ILRI40 / Livestock / Livestock Systems

Help smallholders protect their environments and adapt to climate change––IFAD president challenges livestock researchers

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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 →