The BecA-ILRI Hub celebrates 15 years of biosciences in and for Africa
Africa / BecA / Biotechnology / Capacity Strengthening / Directorate / Event / ILRI / ILRIComms / Research / Spotlight

The BecA-ILRI Hub celebrates 15 years of biosciences in and for Africa

Coming up next week is an event marking the 15th anniversary of the Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research (BecA-ILRI) Hub, located in Nairobi, Kenya, and working with partners across the continent as well as with bioscience institutions worldwide. Continue reading

Ethiopia-CGIAR country consultation meeting identifies five action areas for enhanced collaboration
Africa / Agriculture / CGIAR / Directorate / East Africa / English / Ethiopia / ILRI / Policy / Research

Ethiopia-CGIAR country consultation meeting identifies five action areas for enhanced collaboration

Five concrete areas of collaboration have been recommended in a meeting of CGIAR centres and national partners and key stakeholders in a move to better align CGIAR activities with the national Growth and Transformation Plan II (GTP 2015-2020). Continue reading

A couple of  ‘missings’ for the Paris climate talks
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

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

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

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

What’s driving Ethiopia’s fast development? Millions of smallholder farmers, of course
Agriculture / Animal Production / Article / ASSP / Directorate / Ethiopia / Food Security / Livestock / Policy

What’s driving Ethiopia’s fast development? Millions of smallholder farmers, of course

Industrialization is key to economic development, and agriculture—supplying raw materials for processing and value addition—is an essential component of that process. Comprising more than 40% of national GDP and producing the overwhelming majority of the Ethiopia’s food, smallholder farmers are at the centre of the country’s recent economic success. So declared the director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Jimmy Smith, in an agriculture panel discussion, this week, organized by the Economist magazine and held at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa. Continue reading

The sharp divide: Do we need animals to feed this world?
A4NH / Animal Products / Directorate / Food Security / FSZ / ILRI / Livestock

The sharp divide: Do we need animals to feed this world?

Livestock, the fastest-growing, highest-value and a highly controversial agriculture sector, is at a crossroads. Following a new set of 17 sustainable development goals, the current and potential roles of livestock systems in food and nutrition security and other aspects of sustainable development, including the environment, human health and livelihoods, continue to be debated. Opinions are sharply divided in the industrialized world between those who consider animals to be more part of the solution and those who consider them to be more part of the problem. Continue reading