ILRI scientists have developed a framework that highlights the key gender considerations in livestock genetic improvement programs in low- and middle-income countries. Continue reading
Category Archives: LIVESTOCKCRP
Power through: a new concept in the women empowerment discourse
The paper ‘Power through: A new concept in the empowerment discourse’ by Alessandra Galiè, a senior gender scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Cathy Rozel Farnworth, an independent researcher, offers a new perspective on the role of ‘power through’ in women’s empowerment. Continue reading
Celebrating the open access week at ILRI
In marking this year’s open access week at ILRI, here are a few highlights of some of the recent open access research outputs and open access data sets from the PIL Program. Continue reading
Cambodia’s Safe Food, Fair Food project addresses major food safety issues
A research project in Cambodia is evaluating the economic burden of food-borne diseases in animal-source food value chains that are important to the poor, and it is piloting a market-based approach to improving food safety that builds on projects successfully implemented by ILRI in Africa and Asia Continue reading
Unravelling value chains through participatory modelling: part 3
We have been using the participatory system dynamics modelling technique to map out the pig and paddy value chains in Myeik and Palaw townships in southern Myanmar. Through the involvement of value chain actors in group modelling, it became evident that small-scale pig farmers are in effect ‘price takers’, exerting limited influence on the price of live pigs. Continue reading
Unravelling value chains through participatory modelling: part 2
The MINI project is investigating how to increase the availability of fruits and vegetables in nutritionally vulnerable markets in Bihar, India. The barriers to this goal are numerous, ranging from the inferior prices offered to farmers in smaller markets, to the typically weaker purchasing power of rural consumers. Continue reading
Unravelling value chains through participatory modelling
Recently, ILRI and partners have implemented participatory processes in the construction of SD models. Such techniques (termed “group model building” or “mediated modelling”) involve the careful organization of several focus group sessions with 10-15 value chain stakeholders. The participants articulate value chain problems, structure, and data that are then used to parametrize working models from which scenarios can be jointly developed and discussed. Continue reading
National livestock sector policies and planning under a changing global economy
The production and demand of livestock derived foods (LDFs) could change substantially in the future in many LMICs following major changes in global economic and climate conditions. A recent report assesses a standard global model’s projections of livestock production and the demand for LDFs in Ethiopia, Niger, Rwanda, Cambodia, Nepal and Burkina Faso in 2050. Continue reading
Nurturing a network of policy analysts in Kenyan agriculture
A new initiative in Kenya is seeking to empower scientists to be better translators of their research, with the aim of making agricultural policies and practices more science-based. It is implemented by ILRI in collaboration with Africa’s Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) and the Swedish-funded program Agriculture for Food Security 2030 (AgriFoSe2030). Continue reading
Research helps parents ‘give milk’ to improve nutrition and livelihoods in Rwanda
An ongoing project in Rwanda is focusing on increasing the consumption of milk, which is considered a promising way of promoting income generation activities and nutritional outcomes. Many parents and other farmers are learning how to improve both the production of milk and their children’s nutrition. Continue reading