Livestock-producing agricultural systems cover 73 percent of Africa and stretch across several climates (Map 1). To some extent, these climates determine what type of farming is practiced. In Africa, livestock-producing systems are broken into two main categories: livestock and mixed crop-livestock. These systems exist in three common African climates: arid/semiarid, humid/subhumid, and temperate/tropical highlands. Continue reading
Category Archives: Africa
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
New mobile project to tackle malnutrition in Africa and Asia
A CABI-led consortium involving ILRI has gained GMSA funding to help three million people access nutrition information using mobile technology. Continue reading
African talent feeding African markets with African products: Global food and agribusiness meeting hears of ‘livestock value chains’ in Africa
In Jun 2014 three agricultural economists working with the International Livestock Research Institute presented case studies at the World Forum of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) in Cape Town, South Africa. The main lesson from the two cases presented is that by training farmers, processors and other stakeholders supporting agribusiness development, African talent can create new products and innovative processes that help feed African markets with African products. Continue reading
Assessing societal changes from changing dairy value chains in Sahelian pastoral communities
ILRI’s Jo Cadilhon introduces a method being tried out in Senegal to measure the social impacts of dairy supply chain innovation in pastoralist societies.
Continue reading
Scientists launch multi-million dollar battle against African cattle killer
Researchers have received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop anew-generation vaccine for East Coast fever. which could inform malaria and cancer research. Continue reading