Last week, Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), gave a presentation on closing the big livestock yield gaps in developing countries. Smith made his presentation at the Global Food Security Consortium Spring Symposium, held in Ames, Iowa, 29–30 Apr 2014. Continue reading
Category Archives: ILRIComms
Egyptian aquaculture: Farming tilapia, mullet and carp in the Nile Delta
Within the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish and embedded within a project on aquaculture development funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), IEIDEAS — ‘Improving Employment and Income through the Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector’ — is a project implemented by CARE and WorldFish to secure a sustainable future for at least 100,000 people by upgrading Egypt’s aquaculture value chain. Continue reading
How to act in the face of uncertainty (and adapt to ‘wicked problems’) with ‘no regrets’ options–CGIAR PNAS paper
A 2013 paper, Addressing uncertainty in adaptation planning for agriculture, deserves a wide readership. The paper was published in 2013 in the prestigious US science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It tackles ‘uncertainty’ in climate change research for development. If you can manage your way through the technical jargon, you get to this: The results demonstrate the potential for robust knowledge and actions in the face of uncertainty. Continue reading
Africa’s first ‘Islamic-compliant’ livestock insurance pays 100 herders in Kenya’s remote drylands of Wajir for drought-related livestock losses
Today, for the first time in Africa, an insurance policy that combines an Islamic-compliant financial instrument with innovative use of satellite imagery is compensating Muslim pastoralists for drought-induced losses suffered in Kenya’s northeastern Wajir County, where livestock are valued at Ksh46 billion (USD550 million). Continue reading
Anthony Beattie, distinguished former British civil servant conducting CGIAR funding review, visits Nairobi research-for-development institutions
Anthony Beattie has been commissioned by the CGIAR Fund Office to assist with a significant study, ‘A CGIAR Resource Mobilization Approach and Strategy: Possible ways forward and their implications.’ He visited the ILRI campus in Nairobi on 13 Mar 2014. Continue reading
Jimmy Smith on mega trends in livestock production in the world’s emerging markets: Part 2
A keynote presentation at this mega trends conference was given by Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which works to relieve poverty and hunger, and to improve human and environmental health, through livestock science in developing countries. Smith spoke on the ‘Evolution of animal production in emerging markets: China, Russia, India, Brazil, Africa.’
This is the second of a two-part article. Part one is here. Continue reading
Jimmy Smith on mega trends in livestock production in the world’s emerging markets: Part 1
Last week in Florham Park, New Jersey, Zoetis, the largest animal health provider in the world, hosted a conference on Mega trends in livestock production: The state of animal agriculture 2025–2050. A keynote presentation at this mega trends conference was given by Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which works to relieve poverty and hunger, and to improve human and environmental health, through livestock science in developing countries. Continue reading
WILD: Take a look at some of the ‘Women in Livestock Development’
Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day today (8 Mar 2014). Those of us at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), who work in Africa, Asia and Latin America to reduce poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation through livestock- and research-based interventions, have put together images of ‘women in livestock development’. Each of these WILD women from ILRI, from our partner organizations and from around the world is making a difference through livestock-related work. Continue reading
Women and livestock: Why gender matters are BIG matters
Happy International Women’s Day from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)! Continue reading
‘Bio-control’=effective control of aflatoxins poisoning Kenya’s staple food crops
Biocontrol is one way of managing aflatoxins by targeting the fungus that produces aflatoxin while the crop is still in the field. Continue reading