Category Archives: SLS

Sustainable Livestock Systems program

On selling insurance (not lottery tickets) to Africa’s struggling (stargazing) livestock herders–New York Times
Article / CCAFS / Climate Change / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livelihoods / LIVESTOCKFISH / Opinion Piece / Pastoralism / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Spotlight / Vulnerability

On selling insurance (not lottery tickets) to Africa’s struggling (stargazing) livestock herders–New York Times

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Insurance that pays out when forage coverage drops—known as index-based livestock insurance—is an elegant idea. Andrew Mude, an economist and principal scientist at ILRI, last month was awarded the Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application. The award, a major prize in agricultural research, is given by the World Food Prize Foundation and financed by the Rockefeller Foundation. Tina Rosenberg covers the story in the New York Times. Continue reading →

‘Meating’ in the middle on the ‘meat vs vegetarian’ diet debate at the climate change summit this week
Advocacy / CCAFS / Climate Change / Consumption / Directorate / Environment / GLAD / ILRI / ILRIComms / Mazingira / Opinion Piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS

‘Meating’ in the middle on the ‘meat vs vegetarian’ diet debate at the climate change summit this week

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What might seem like a silver bullet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions risks undermining other development goals such as ending hunger, improving health and eliminating poverty. We cannot ignore the important role that animal-source foods play, especially in developing countries, when we talk about tackling climate change. Instead we need to find a middle ground. Continue reading →

A first look at ILRI’s new research programs: Sustainable Livestock Systems
Climate Change / Drought / Drylands / Environment / ILRI / Intensification / NRM / Participation / Pastoralism / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Vulnerability

A first look at ILRI’s new research programs: Sustainable Livestock Systems

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BETTER SCIENCE, BETTER LIVES The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), headquartered in Africa and working in poor countries worldwide to provide better lives through livestock, held its Institute Planning Meeting from 4 to 7 Oct 2016. This is the sixth of a series of blog articles reporting on plans for ILRI research programs, including ILRI’s work in … Continue reading →

Kenyan accepts 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application at World Food Prize Event in Iowa
Africa / Animal Production / Award / CCAFS / CGIAR / Climate Change / Drought / Drylands / Ethiopia / Food Security / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livelihoods / Pastoralism / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Spotlight

Kenyan accepts 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application at World Food Prize Event in Iowa

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Andrew Mude, an economist and principal scientist at ILRI, is being presented with the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application today, 12 Oct 2016, for his work leading an innovative livestock insurance program that employs satellite data to help protect livestock herding communities in the Horn of Africa from the devastating effects of drought. Continue reading →

Kenya’s wildlife populations are in ‘widespread’ and ‘catastrophic’ decline—New study
Article / Biodiversity / Cattle / Drylands / East Africa / Environment / Goats / ILRI / Kenya / Pastoralism / Policy / Rangelands / Resilience / Sheep / SLS / Small Ruminants / Spotlight / Wildlife

Kenya’s wildlife populations are in ‘widespread’ and ‘catastrophic’ decline—New study

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Here’s a wake up call for all those who care about Kenya’s rich heritage of wild animals, rangelands and pastoral peoples. A new study reporting on the period from 1977 to 2016 says wildlife on the rangelands of Kenya, which still support some of the richest herds of mammals on earth, is in precipitous decline while populations of goats and sheep are increasingly sharply. Continue reading →

Kenyan economist Andrew Mude wins the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application
Award / Communications / Drought / Drylands / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Pastoralism / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Resilience / SLS / Spotlight / Staff / Vulnerability

Kenyan economist Andrew Mude wins the 2016 Norman Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application

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Andrew Mude, a principal research scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi, Kenya, was yesterday named the 5th recipient of a prestigious award for his work in providing insurance to livestock herders in East Africa’s drylands through innovative, state-of-the-art technologies. Continue reading →

Apocalyptic numbers: Antibiotic resistance as the classic ‘One Health’ (and classic ‘One World’) planetary issue
A4NH / Agri-Health / AMR / Article / Disease Control / Emerging Diseases / Event / FSZ / Human Health / ILRI / Opinion Piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight / UK

Apocalyptic numbers: Antibiotic resistance as the classic ‘One Health’ (and classic ‘One World’) planetary issue

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In the lead up to the High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance to be held in the margins of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, attended by heads of state and government at the UN’s New York City headquarters on 21 Sep 2016, scientists from ILRI and partner organizations have published a must-read article on the ‘One Health’ as well as ‘One World’ aspects of the rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic organisms. Continue reading →

High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition launches sustainable livestock development report
Animal Feeding / Animal Production / Animal Products / Event Report / Food Safety / Food Security / ILRI / Intensification / Launch / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Nutrition / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Report / SLS / Spotlight

High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition launches sustainable livestock development report

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In October 2014, the Committee on Food Security requested the High-Level Panel of Experts for Food Security and Nutrition to prepare a report on sustainable agricultural development for food security and nutrition, including the role of livestock. An important planning meeting was held at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). 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

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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 →