The rise of antimicrobial resistance (lethal) and animal agriculture (critical): Their links in developing countries
A4NH / Agri-Health / AMR / Article / Emerging Diseases / Food Security / FSZ / Human Health / ILRI / Policy

The rise of antimicrobial resistance (lethal) and animal agriculture (critical): Their links in developing countries

This Jun 2015, Evidence on Demand, an international development information hub supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), published a 44-page paper identifying key evidence gaps in our knowledge of livestock- and fisheries-linked antimicrobial resistance in the developing world and documenting on-going and planned research on this topic by key stakeholders.The paper, written by veterinary epidemiologist and food safety expert Delia Grace, of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), is titled: Review of evidence on antimicrobial resistance and animal agriculture in developing countries. Continue reading

Scientists from France and Kenya meet in Nairobi to sketch out plans for joint livestock research projects in Africa
Agriculture / Animal Diseases / Disease Control / Epidemiology / Livestock / Presentation / Research / Southern Africa

Scientists from France and Kenya meet in Nairobi to sketch out plans for joint livestock research projects in Africa

On 9-10 June 2015, a delegation from CIRAD, the French agricultural research and international cooperation organization, visited ILRI in Nairobi to develop concrete ideas for collaboration between the two organizations. Continue reading

Small producers are big opportunities for a healthy, safe and sustainable global livestock sector
Directorate / Food Security / ILRI / Intensification / Livelihoods / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

Small producers are big opportunities for a healthy, safe and sustainable global livestock sector

Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), gave a keynote presentation at the International Federation for Animal Health–Europe conference Healthy Animals, Healthy Food, a Healthy Future, held in Brussels on 11 Jun 2015. Continue reading

Climate change impacts on livestock: ‘This information does not exist’
Africa / Books and Chapters / CCAFS / Climate Change / Food Security / ILRI / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / SLS / Spotlight

Climate change impacts on livestock: ‘This information does not exist’

A new working paper from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) has been published on the impacts of climate change on livestock across Africa. Lead author of the new paper, Philip Thornton, is a scientist with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Continue reading

CGIAR Innovation Platform Case Study Competition: And the winner is . . .
Agriculture / ASSP / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / Communications / Congo-DR / Event Report / Humid Tropics / HUMIDTROPICS / ILRI / India / Innovation Systems / PIL / Rwanda / Spotlight / Uganda

CGIAR Innovation Platform Case Study Competition: And the winner is . . .

In Nov 2014, to better assess the efficiency of these innovation platforms and to document their successes and challenges in different developing countries, Humidtropics launched an Innovation Platforms Case Study Competition. In Feb 2015, twelve candidates were selected to participate in a writeshop focused on writing­ strong, reflective and cohesive case studies. Earlier this month (Jun 2015), jury members in an editors’ meeting reviewed all the final submissions and chose eight cases to be featured in a Humidtropics Anthology to be published by an academic publisher before the end of 2015; the jury also recommended that two cases be published separately. Continue reading

Scarce, but real, resources (a little essay on the dairy cow prototype and refineries of the future)
Environment / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Livestock / Opinion Piece / Pro-Poor Livestock / Spotlight

Scarce, but real, resources (a little essay on the dairy cow prototype and refineries of the future)

Informa­tion, ideas and technologies generated by re­search provide the skeleton on which hu­man develop­ment everywhere and at all times de­pend­s. New ideas, embedded in techno­logical change, drive human growth, allow­ing us to escape the grim statistics that haunt peoples of the developed world and the hardships that face peoples of the developing world. Continue reading

New project promises more productive chickens for Africa’s smallholders
ACGG / Africa / Agriculture / Breeds / Chickens / Ethiopia / Farming Systems / Genetics / Indigenous Breeds / Launch / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKFISH / Nigeria / Project / Spotlight / Tanzania

New project promises more productive chickens for Africa’s smallholders

A new four-year African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will run from 2015 to 2019 and work to genetically improve Africa’s chickens and to better deliver the superior chickens to small-scale farmers. Continue reading

It’s simple (everybody eats); It’s complicated (everybody eats differently)
Agri-Health / Consumption / Food Security / Human Health / Policy / Report / Spotlight / UK

It’s simple (everybody eats); It’s complicated (everybody eats differently)

The inestimable Tara Garnett, of the Food Climate Research Network, offers much new food for thought on ‘the meat question’ in a new discussion paper on What is a sustainable healthy diet? and a new think piece, Gut feelings and possible tomorrows: (where) does animal farming fit? Continue reading