‘Zoonotic’ diseases take the spotlight of UN environmental talks this week and next in Nairobi, Kenya

Posted on 20 May 2016 by Susan MacMillan • 2 Comments

Diseases transmitted between animals and people—which cause 60% of all human infectious diseases—are a ‘frontier issue’ at the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA2), being held this week and next at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in Nairobi, Kenya. Continue reading →

Agriculture / CGIAR / Climate Change / Environment / Event / Farming Systems / Food Security / Interview / Livelihoods / Opinion Piece / Poverty / Spotlight

2016 Science Forum: Rethinking agricultural pathways to inclusive development

Posted on 8 Apr 2016 by Susan MacMillan • 1 Comment

In the lead up to the 2016 Science Forum, steering committee members and invited speakers answered a few questions related to the Forum’s focus on agricultural research pathways to inclusive rural development. Below are excerpts of their responses. You’ll find all the responses on the SF2016 blog site. Continue reading →

Animal Production / Article / CCAFS / Climate Change / Environment / ILRI / Intensification / Livestock Systems / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight

Livestock can significantly reduce greenhouse gases AND deliver benefits to the poor–Nature Climate Change

Posted on 22 Mar 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Mario Herrero, chief research scientist for Food Systems and the Environment at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in Australia, and colleagues have published a paper in Nature Climate Change on Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector. Continue reading →

Agriculture / Consumption / Directorate / Environment / Food Security / Livelihoods / Livestock / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Research

Harnessing livestock for the Sustainable Development Goals

Posted on 21 Mar 2016 by Paul Karaimu • 1 Comment

One of the fastest growing subsectors in agriculture–livestock–can significantly contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if the opportunities it offers, especially for people in developing countries, are harnessed for economic growth, improved livelihoods and food and nutritional security. Continue reading →

CGIAR / Consumption / Directorate / Environment / Food Security / ILRI / ILRIComms / Livelihoods / Pro-Poor Livestock / Report / Research / Spotlight

Livestock and the Sustainable Development Goals

Posted on 29 Feb 2016 by Susan MacMillan • 3 Comments

CGIAR livestock scientists are working actively to help the world meet the SDGs. We are intentionally tailoring our livestock-related knowledge products, technologies, institutional arrangements and policy support to provide new options for meeting specific SDGs by addressing developing world livestock problems and opportunities. Continue reading →

Agri-Health / Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Animal Feeding / Capacity Strengthening / Climate Change / Communications / Environment / Feeds / Food Safety / Food Security / Human Health / ILRI / Knowledge and Information / Nutrition / Pastoralism / Policy / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

Some of ILRI’s top livestock slide presentations in 2015

Posted on 21 Jan 2016 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

A few of the top livestock slide presentations made by ILRI staff in 2015 Continue reading →

Animal Products / CCAFS / CGIAR / Consumption / Environment / Food Security / ILRI / Livestock / Mazingira / Opinion Piece / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight

Can we eat meat and still reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Posted on 13 Dec 2015 by Susan MacMillan • 1 Comment

Cattle and figures, Laas Geel cave complex, Somaliland, Somalia. This opinion piece is written by Alain Vidal, director of strategic partnerships at CGIAR. Our global food production system—which includes, in addition to crop farming, raising livestock and deforesting lands to grow livestock feed and other crops—is responsible for about a quarter of the greenhouse gases produced … Continue reading →

CCAFS / Climate Change / Communications / Consumption / Directorate / Environment / Human Health / ILRI / ILRIComms / Livestock / Opinion Piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight

A couple of ‘missings’ for the Paris climate talks

Posted on 30 Nov 2015 by Susan MacMillan • 2 Comments

In the days leading up to the start of the climate change talks in Paris (COP21) this week (30 Nov–11 Dec 2015), we at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have been busy responding to recent articles in the press advocating that ‘the world’ eat less meat to reduce greenhouse gases and other livestock ‘bads’. … Continue reading →

Environment / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Livestock / Opinion Piece / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

Scarce, but real, resources (a little essay on the dairy cow prototype and refineries of the future)

Posted on 5 Jun 2015 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

Information, ideas and technologies generated by research provide the skeleton on which human development everywhere and at all times depends. New ideas, embedded in technological change, drive human growth, allowing us to escape the grim statistics that haunt peoples of the developed world and the hardships that face peoples of the developing world. Continue reading →

Environment / ILRI / ILRIComms / Livestock / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

Happy World Environment Day!