Simon Lubega (left), manager of the Wambizzi Pig Cooperative Abattoir, in Uganda, in discussion with the EC’s Roberto Ridolfi (right) and other stakeholders during a tour of his biogas plant (photo credit: ILRI/Brian Kawuma). This article is written by Brian Kawuma, communications officer for ILRI in Uganda. Members of the Uganda country team of the … Continue reading
Category Archives: Story Type
Winners of the Humidtropics ‘Innovation Platforms Case Study’ competition honoured
Participants at the award ceremony pose for a photo with the winners of the competition (seated, left to right): Perez Muchunguzi (3rd place), Rebecca Kalibwani (1st place) and Thanammal Ravichandran (2nd place) (photo credit: ILRI/Brian Kawuma). This article is written by Brian Kawuma, communications officer for ILRI in Uganda. From offering a legal precedent for … Continue reading
Is the ‘Third Epidemiological Transition’ upon us?
Zoonoses—diseases transferred from animals to humans—have been with humanity throughout history. But today’s growing scale of livestock production in developing countries to feed their fast-growing and fast-urbanizing populations is sparking debate about whether the livestock sector is contributing to a fundamental a shift in global disease mortality, something known as an ‘epidemiological transition’. If so, it would be the third such transition in human history. Continue reading
Tanzania’s ‘Livestock Master Plan’ kicks off with a one-year training program for government officials
Eight staff from Tanzania’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development are undergoing a 14-month training and planning program assisted by experts from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Continue reading
Towards more productive dairy cattle for Africa’s smallholders
Improving the genetic makeup of Africa’s dairy cattle has the potential increase farmer productivity and profitability, hence transform the lives of millions of dairy families across Africa. This latest program, African Dairy Genetic Gains (ADGG) program, led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), offers real opportunities to help smallholders improve their lives through livestock. It also contributes to ILRI’s global livestock genetics program—LiveGene. Continue reading
Forage farming changes lives of Zimbabwe smallholder farmers
Many rural households in Zimbabwe rely on food aid to meet their nutritional needs. This problem, often aggravated by unemployment and falls in income, threatens the livelihoods of low income and food-insecure populations. Continue reading
Instructional design, helping researchers pass on their findings
Applying the principles of instructional design to the development of blended learning programs could help ILRI scientists pass on their findings to those actors and agencies in country, and help embed research into policy making and development processes. These are the findings in a nutshell of the latest brief produced by the Instructional Design Specialist, Deborah Wyburn, of the Capacity Development Unit of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Continue reading
New Kenya value chains program to lift 300,000 plus households out of poverty
Starting in October 2015, ILRI, in partnership with two other CGIAR centres, has initiated a new three-year USD25 million program to help lift 317,000 households out of poverty, making them food secure and enabling their transition from subsistence to market-orientated farming. Continue reading
Can we eat meat and still reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
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
No longer business as usual: Improved feeds transforming dairying in Zimbabwe
Farmers participating in the Zimbabwe Crop-Livestock Integration for Food Security (ZimCLIFS) project have increased their gross margins by up to 70%. The ongoing food security improvement project is targeting the country’s dairy farmers to help improve feed farming and overall dairy production. Continue reading