A new ‘How-to-Do Note’ provides guidance on designing and implementing ‘gender and pastoralism’ projects
Agriculture / Article / CGIAR / Drylands / English / Environment / Gender / Livelihoods / Livestock / Livestock Systems / LIVESTOCKCRP / Participation / Pastoralism / PIL / PIM / Rangelands / SLS / Women

A new ‘How-to-Do Note’ provides guidance on designing and implementing ‘gender and pastoralism’ projects

A new ‘How To Do Note on Gender and Pastoralism’ has been developed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with two CGIAR research programs – Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) and Livestock . The note provides guidance on key issues to consider and tools and processes to use in project design and implementation. Continue reading

Expanding livestock production in Asia and Africa key to environmental as well as human welfare gains—New study
Advocacy / Africa / CCAFS / Consumption / Food Security / ILRI / Impact Assessment / Intensification / Livelihoods / LIVESTOCKCRP / Markets / Nutrition / PIL / PIM / Pro-Poor Livestock / Science paper / South Asia / Spotlight / WLE / Women

Expanding livestock production in Asia and Africa key to environmental as well as human welfare gains—New study

A new paper, published this month in Global Food Security and led by scientists at ILRI, confirms a wealth of similar evidence showing that, with sufficient and targeted investments in their livestock sectors, low- and middle-income countries can achieve both better nutrition and incomes for the poor and greatly reduced greenhouse gas emission and agricultural water use. Continue reading

On what (and how and when) to measure when measuring impacts of agricultural research for development
Africa / Agriculture / Asia / Capacity Strengthening / CGIAR / Directorate / Environment / Event Report / Food Security / Gender / ILRI / Impact Assessment / NRM / Nutrition / PIM / Policy / Poverty / Presentation / Research / Scaling / Spotlight

On what (and how and when) to measure when measuring impacts of agricultural research for development

By ILRI’s Iain Wright: On 6–8 Jul 2017, I attended a conference at ICRAF on Impacts of International Agricultural Research: Rigorous Evidence for Policy organized jointly by the CGIAR ISPC’s SPIA and PIM. I welcomed the delegates at this meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on behalf of ICRAF and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the two CGIAR centres headquartered in Nairobi. A modified version of my address and personal reflections on impact assessment in CGIAR follows. Continue reading

Beef value chain actors reap big gains from new financing in Southern Africa
Animal Feeding / Cattle / CGIAR / Event Report / Intensification / Livestock / Markets / PIL / PIM / Pro-Poor Livestock / Southern Africa / Spotlight / Value Chains / Zambia / Zimbabwe

Beef value chain actors reap big gains from new financing in Southern Africa

Efforts by research and development partners are offering renewed hope for livestock financing in Southern Africa. This was revealed at an International Conference on Livestock Value Chain Finance and Access to Credit, organized by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in partnership with the Swaziland Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (SWADE) and Swaziland’s Micro Finance Unit (MFU) 21-23 Feb 2017. Continue reading

Policies, value chains and livelihoods – highlights from ILRI’s corporate report 2015–2016
Agriculture / Botswana / Corporate Report / Ethiopia / Gender / ILRI / Livelihoods / LIVES / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / LIVESTOCKFISH / Markets / PIL / PIM / Research / Trade / Value Chains

Policies, value chains and livelihoods – highlights from ILRI’s corporate report 2015–2016

The experience of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partner scientists in 2015–2016 highlights how research and policy analysis guide prioritization of livestock investments and interventions that transform livestock value chains enabling men and women smallholder farmers to improve their lives. However, building on solid research, it is the training of key stakeholders and research support which delivers direct benefits to value chains actors and poor consumers of animal-source foods. Continue reading

Africa / Ghana / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Knowledge and Information / Markets / PIL / PIM / Value Chains / West Africa

Is there value for innovation platforms? New Volta study suggests interesting insights

A new paper attempts to test a new conceptual framework for evaluating innovation platforms for agrifood value chains. Data collected validate a possible link between the structure of the platforms, the conduct of their members and the resulting market performance through reducing the transaction costs of search and information. Continue reading

Small farmers and big retailing: What works? What doesn’t? in developing countries
Agriculture / Dairying / Fish / ILRI / Innovation Systems / PIL / PIM / Presentation / Spotlight / Tanzania / Thailand / Trade / Uganda

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

CTA-ILRI African dairy value chain seminar closes with colourful results
Africa / Dairying / East Africa / Event / ILRI / Livestock / LIVESTOCKFISH / Markets / PIL / PIM / Value Chains / Women

CTA-ILRI African dairy value chain seminar closes with colourful results

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) organized the CTA-ILRI African dairy value chain seminar from 21 to 24 September 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya. Continue reading

Accessing finance for livestock and dairy value chains in developing countries: Recommendations
Africa / Animal Production / Dairying / Drylands / Event Report / Innovation Systems / Kenya / Livestock / LIVESTOCKFISH / Namibia / PIL / PIM / Tanzania / Value Chains

Accessing finance for livestock and dairy value chains in developing countries: Recommendations

This week (15 Jul 2014), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) organized a discussion at CTA’s Fin4Ag Conference in Nairobi on ‘Testing innovations in livestock and dairy value chain finance: Insights from East and Southern Africa’. The discussion was moderated by Jo Cadilhon, a senior agro-economist in ILRI’s Policy, Trade and Value Chains Program who is based at the institute’s Nairobi headquarters. Continue reading