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

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

Kenya’s wildlife populations are in ‘widespread’ and ‘catastrophic’ decline—New study
Article / Biodiversity / Cattle / Drylands / East Africa / Environment / Goats / ILRI / Kenya / Pastoralism / Policy / Rangelands / Resilience / Sheep / SLS / Small Ruminants / Spotlight / Wildlife

Kenya’s wildlife populations are in ‘widespread’ and ‘catastrophic’ decline—New study

Here’s a wake up call for all those who care about Kenya’s rich heritage of wild animals, rangelands and pastoral peoples. A new study reporting on the period from 1977 to 2016 says wildlife on the rangelands of Kenya, which still support some of the richest herds of mammals on earth, is in precipitous decline while populations of goats and sheep are increasingly sharply. Continue reading

Cloned bull could contribute to development of disease-resistant African cattle
Africa / Animal Breeding / Article / Biotechnology / Cattle / CTLGH / Disease Control / Genetics / ILRI / Kenya / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Project / Spotlight / Trypanosomiasis

Cloned bull could contribute to development of disease-resistant African cattle

A note in a scientific journal gives an update on long-term research to develop African cattle resistant to the Africa animal disease known as trypanosomiasis. The aim of this research is to help reduce widespread poverty and hunger on the continent by improving livestock livelihoods. Continue reading

Kenyan economist Andrew Mude wins the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application
Award / Communications / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Pastoralism / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Spotlight / Staff / Vulnerability

Kenyan economist Andrew Mude wins the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application

Andrew Mude, a principal research scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi, Kenya, was yesterday named the 5th recipient of a prestigious award for his work in providing insurance to livestock herders in East Africa’s drylands through innovative, state-of-the-art technologies. Continue reading

UN adopts resolution promoting sustainable pastoralism and rangelands
Drylands / Environment / Ethiopia / Event / Event Report / Kenya / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Pastoralism / Rangelands / SLS

UN adopts resolution promoting sustainable pastoralism and rangelands

A new resolution on ‘Combating desertification, land degradation and drought and promoting sustainable pastoralism and rangelands’ was presented and adopted at the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) held 23–27 May 2016 at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in Nairobi, Kenya. Continue reading

Vaccine research on Africa’s cattle-killing East Coast fever: A short (somewhat potted but handsomely illustrated) history
Article / Burundi / Cattle / Central Africa / Disease Control / East Africa / ECF / Epidemiology / ILRI / ILVAC / Kenya / LIVESTOCKFISH / Malawi / Mozambique / Rwanda / South Africa / Southern Africa / Sudan / Tanzania / Tick Unit / Uganda / Vaccines / Zambia / Zimbabwe

Vaccine research on Africa’s cattle-killing East Coast fever: A short (somewhat potted but handsomely illustrated) history

Tremendous research progress has been made over the last ten years to better control the deadly African disease of cattle known as East Coast fever. This disease is caused by a single-celled organism, Theileria parva, which is carried by some tick species. Cattle become infected when a tick carrying the parasite takes a blood-meal from the animal over several days. Continue reading

Serious rain: East Africa’s annual Easter resurrection
Drought / East Africa / Food Security / ILRI / Kenya / Opinion Piece / Spotlight / Water

Serious rain: East Africa’s annual Easter resurrection

Exactly four days following Easter Sunday this year, the ‘long rains’ arrived in Nairobi, watering the earth, flooding the streets, pounding the rooftops. All night that night, and all night the following nights, the kusi monsoon, blowing inland from across the Indian Ocean, has delivered the beating rain. Continue reading

Reverse vaccinology identifies candidates for an improved vaccine against cattle pneumonia in Africa
Africa / Article / Biotechnology / Cattle / CBPP / Disease Control / ILRI / ILVAC / Kenya / LIVESTOCKFISH / Spotlight / Vaccines

Reverse vaccinology identifies candidates for an improved vaccine against cattle pneumonia in Africa

We used a reverse vaccinology approach to identify 66 Mmm potential vaccine candidates. The selection and grouping of the antigens was based on the presence of specific antibodies in sera from CBPP-positive animals. The antigens were used to immunize male Boran cattle (Bos indicus) followed by a challenge with the Mmm strain Afadé. Continue reading