Badass Chinese sheep quickly evolved adaptations to extreme plateau and desert environments—New study
Animal Breeding / Article / Asia / Biodiversity / Breeds / China / Climate Change / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Sheep / Small Ruminants / Spotlight

Badass Chinese sheep quickly evolved adaptations to extreme plateau and desert environments—New study

A new study offers novel insights into rapid genomic adaptations to extreme environments in sheep and other animals and provides a valuable resource for future research on livestock breeding in response to climate change. Continue reading

‘Leveling’ livestock information: Knowledge management at an ICAR–ILRI communications workshop
Communications / Data / Event Report / ILRI / ILRIComms / India / Knowledge and Information / South Asia / Spotlight

‘Leveling’ livestock information: Knowledge management at an ICAR–ILRI communications workshop

To share best practices and explore opportunities for collaboration, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) held a joint communications and knowledge management workshop on 4 Mar 2016 at the National Agricultural Science Centre Complex in New Delhi, India. Continue reading

Reaching stakeholders, influencing policies: ICAR–ILRI communications workshop
Agriculture / Capacity Strengthening / Communications / Event / Event Report / ILRI / ILRIComms / India / Knowledge and Information / South Asia

Reaching stakeholders, influencing policies: ICAR–ILRI communications workshop

A communications workshop co-sponsored by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was held on 4 March 2016 in New Delhi, India. This is the second of three reports on the workshop. 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

DID YOU KNOW? ILRI in the Livestock Global Alliance
Animal Feeding / Animal Production / Directorate / Disease Control / Event Report / Food Security / France / Human Health / ILRI / Livelihoods / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

DID YOU KNOW? ILRI in the Livestock Global Alliance

The following remarks were made by Shirley Tarawali, assistant director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) on 26 May 2016 at a side event held at the General Assembly of the World Organisation for Animal Health, in Paris, where an alliance of leading organizations in global livestock issues launched an advocacy brief and related materials. Continue reading

Livestock for better nutrition and disease control–One Health Colloquium held this week at Chatham House
A4NH / Agri-Health / Animal Diseases / Climate Change / Diagnostics / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Epidemiology / Event Report / Food Safety / Food Security / FSZ / Human Health / ILRI / ILVAC / LIVESTOCKFISH / Nutrition / Policy / Presentation / Spotlight / UK / Vaccines / Zoonotic Diseases

Livestock for better nutrition and disease control–One Health Colloquium held this week at Chatham House

Today and tomorrow (31 May–1 Jun 2016), Chatham House, the Livestock Global Alliance (LGA), the One Health Platform and other One Health partners are convening senior policymakers, academics, multilateral development agencies, business leaders and other private-sector stakeholders to discuss livestock’s role in poverty reduction, sustainable livestock production systems, innovations in livestock vaccines and diagnostics and the value of establishing national and regional One Health centres to provide advice on links among agriculture, sustainable livestock systems and human development. Continue reading

Getting the (science) word out: ILRI and ICAR share livestock communications and knowledge management practices
Agriculture / Capacity Strengthening / Communications / Event / ILRI / ILRIComms / India / Knowledge and Information / South Asia / Spotlight

Getting the (science) word out: ILRI and ICAR share livestock communications and knowledge management practices

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) held a one-day joint communications and knowledge management workshop on 4 Mar 2016 at the prestigious and spacious National Agricultural Science Centre Complex, in New Delhi, India. Continue reading

Odisha Odyssey: A look at the emerging commercial dairy value chains in eastern India
Agriculture / Animal Feeding / ASSP / Cattle / Crop-Livestock / Dairying / Feeds / Fodder / ILRI / India / Interview / Livelihoods / Livestock / Markets / Pro-Poor Livestock / Project / South Asia / Spotlight / Value Chains

Odisha Odyssey: A look at the emerging commercial dairy value chains in eastern India

In recent years, ILRI scientists have been working with institutional partners and local farmer organizations in Odisha, a large eastern state of India on the Bay of Bengal, on research to improve the feed and fodder resources readily available to smallholder livestock keepers. ILRI conducted this collaborative research through a collaborative CGIAR Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) aiming to increase and sustain small farm productivity in selected regions of Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

As part of an ILRI photojournalism trip to India undertaken in early Mar 2016, the authors visited a town on the outskirts of Bhadrak, a city in northern Odisha, to capture a bit of what the ILRI-led CSISA work has accomplished for small-scale dairy farmers in the area. Continue reading