Project work amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Updating the household nutrition data collection app in Samburu
Agriculture / COVID19 / Data / Drylands / East Africa / Environment / Farming Systems / Food security / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Nutrition / Pastoralism / Report / Research / Resilience / SLS

Project work amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Updating the household nutrition data collection app in Samburu

In October 2019, ILRI in partnership with the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) launched a one-year pilot study in Kenya’s Samburu County to develop and test low-cost data collection tools for assessing the nutrition status of households in Kenya’s pastoral areas. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, updates to the household nutrition data collection app are being carried out remotely. Continue reading

New study finds that severe undernutrition of cattle increases their methane production
Agriculture / Animal Feeding / Climate Change / Communications / Diet / Environment / GHG Emissions / Kenya / Mazingira

New study finds that severe undernutrition of cattle increases their methane production

Originally posted on Mazingira Centre:
An animal trial in the animal respiration chamber at ILRI’s Mazingira Centre (photo credit: ILRI/ Svenja Marquardt). Livestock production generates significant amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for about 65% of the total emissions from agriculture globally. Of these emissions, 40% are generated through enteric fermentation, the digestive processes…

Climate-smart livestock systems program kicks off in Kenya’s pastoral rangelands
CCAFS / Climate Change / Drylands / East Africa / Environment / Farming Systems / GHG Emissions / Kenya / Livestock Systems / Pastoralism / Rangelands / SLS

Climate-smart livestock systems program kicks off in Kenya’s pastoral rangelands

As part of efforts to build the capacity of pastoralists and livestock sector stakeholders to respond and adapt to these changes in climate change in rangelands such as Kajiado’s and other livestock production systems in eastern Africa, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is implementing the Programme for Climate Smart Livestock (PCSL) in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Continue reading

ILRI and FANRPAN test nutrition data collection in rural communities using pictography
Data / Drylands / Food security / Geodata / IBLI / ILRI / Intensification / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Livestock Systems / LIVESTOCKCRP / Nutrition / Pastoralism / Research / SLS

ILRI and FANRPAN test nutrition data collection in rural communities using pictography

the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and ILRI are collaborating in the ‘Improving Dietary and Health Data for Decision-making in Agriculture and Nutrition Actions in Africa’ project, which is developing, evaluating and introducing cost-efficient and scalable solutions for measuring dietary intake and health indicators to track nutrition and health outcomes and their progress at community and national levels in Kenya. Continue reading

After national launch, climate-smart livestock program rolled out in Ethiopia’s Amhara region
Agriculture / Climate Change / East Africa / Ethiopia / Kenya / Livestock Systems / LIVESTOCKCRP / Research / SLS / Uganda

After national launch, climate-smart livestock program rolled out in Ethiopia’s Amhara region

After the launch of the program at the national level, efforts are now going on to roll it out in selected regions of Ethiopia. The first local launch in the country took place on 20 August 2019 in Debre Birhan. Continue reading

Kenya launches spatial planning guidelines and toolkits for pastoral areas
Drylands / East Africa / Event / Kenya / Livestock Systems / LIVESTOCKCRP / Pastoralism / Rangelands / Research / SLS

Kenya launches spatial planning guidelines and toolkits for pastoral areas

The annex and toolkits are expected to play a key role in guiding county governments to develop effective land use plans that provide a strategic direction for the counties, strengthen community land rights, and provide a framework for supporting sustainable livestock production in Kenya’s vast rangelands. Continue reading

Linking research-for-development and community needs in the climate-smart livestock systems project
Agriculture / Animal Feeding / CCAFS / Climate Change / Dairying / Drought / Environment / Ethiopia / Event / Farming Systems / Fodder / Food security / Kenya / Research / SLS / Uganda

Linking research-for-development and community needs in the climate-smart livestock systems project

This blog was written by Lucy Njuguna, a Graduate Fellow with the Sustainable Livestock Systems Program. In development work, there is often concern that external interventions can impose unintended costs on communities, especially when there is little or no consultation with the communities on their interests and priorities. This concern is particularly important in research … Continue reading

New program to enhance climate-smart livestock systems launched in Uganda
Agriculture / Animal Feeding / CCAFS / Climate Change / Dairying / Drought / East Africa / Environment / Ethiopia / Event / Farming Systems / Fodder / Food security / Kenya / Research / SLS / Uganda

New program to enhance climate-smart livestock systems launched in Uganda

Uganda’s agricultural sector contributes significantly to both incomes and direct availability of food in the country. It is also a major contributor to economic growth through provision of raw materials for agro-industries, job opportunities and foreign exchange. Agriculture contributes to about 21% of Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Livestock production is an important subsector of … Continue reading

A new project is launched to support climate-smart livestock strategies and investments in East Africa
Agriculture / CCAFS / Climate Change / East Africa / Environment / Ethiopia / Event / Kenya / Livestock Systems / Mazingira / SLS

A new project is launched to support climate-smart livestock strategies and investments in East Africa

Originally posted on ILRI news:
It is hard to overstate the role that the livestock sector plays in ensuring food security in sub-Saharan Africa. The sector provides a vital source of income to most of the rural poor. Livestock production also provides nutritional benefits to people through their milk, meat and eggs, which are protein…