Nurturing young scientists to inform agricultural development, food security and nutrition policies in Kenya

Posted on Tuesday 12 May 2020 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

This initiative builds on a renewed interest in promoting agricultural production and food security through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which seeks to fight poverty, end hunger and spur economic growth around the agriculture sector. Being able to understand and effect the policy changes required in the agriculture sector especially through evidence-based policy research interventions, is crucial. The CAADP therefore recognizes and emphasizes the need to strengthen capabilities, as well as the policy and institutional environments required to trigger agricultural transformation. Continue reading →

Article / Bangladesh / East Africa / Ethiopia / India / Innovation Systems / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / Research / Southeast Asia / Value Chains

Unravelling value chains through participatory modelling

Posted on Friday 28 June 2019 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

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 →

Agriculture / Capacity strengthening / East Africa / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / policy / Research

Nurturing a network of policy analysts in Kenyan agriculture

Posted on Tuesday 19 March 2019 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

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 →

Capacity strengthening / East Africa / Ethiopia / Film and Video / Gender / Livestock / LIVESTOCK-FISH / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / Research / Value Chains

Strengthening gender capacities for organizational effectiveness

Posted on Wednesday 6 February 2019 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

This video highlights some of the results of a three-year initiative (2015-17) by ILRI and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) to strengthen the gender capacities of local partners in Ethiopia. Continue reading →

Article / East Africa / Impact Assessment / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / policy / Research / Value Chains

Assessing Somaliland’s bone and tallow value chains role towards economic growth

Posted on Friday 25 January 2019 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

Both the bone and tallow value chains are short, use low-value inputs, produce relatively low-valued products and are complementary. To better harness their potential contribution to improved economic growth, the study recommends that value addition should be adopted. This can be achieved by slaughtering, processing and exporting chilled carcasses/packaged meat and by investing in the transformation and processing of livestock by-products like hides and skins, and bones, tallow and horns. Continue reading →

East Africa / Kenya / Livelihoods / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / Markets / PIL / policy / Project / Value Chains / Vulnerability

Business-to-business forums spur economic growth in northern Kenya

Posted on Wednesday 5 December 2018 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has been partnering and collaborating with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) East Africa Trade and Investment Hub (EATIH) under the Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth (PREG) to hold livestock trade facilitation (business-to-business) forums in five Kenyan counties. This initiative has been implemented in Nairobi, Marsabit, Wajir and Isiolo counties to promote more efficient trade between livestock buyers, sellers and producers. Continue reading →

Dairying / East Africa / Gender / Gender news / Impact Assessment / Kenya / Livelihoods / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / policy / SLS / Women

Achieving gender-equitable outcomes in low emissions development initiatives in the Kenyan dairy sector

Posted on Monday 26 November 2018 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

Achieving global goals of lowering livestock’s greenhouse gas emissions is hinged on changing the practices (feeding, herd management and manure management) of smallholder households. Animal husbandry is characterized by gendered division of labour, resource control and decision-making power, with men mainly claiming ownership of animals while women provide labour. Farmers worldwide are known to be motivated to adopt practices that enhance productivity and profitability. Continue reading →

Article / Capacity strengthening / East Africa / Ethiopia / Gender / Gender news / Impact Assessment / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / Research / Women

Empowering researchers to undertake gender responsive agricultural research in Ethiopia

Posted on Monday 15 October 2018 by Judy Kimani • Leave a comment

The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research organized a seven-day staff training workshop in August 2018 which focused on addressing the identified gender capacity needs among researchers and top management. A total of 24 gender focal persons were trained. Continue reading →

Award / Crop-Livestock / East Africa / Impact Assessment / Innovation Systems / Livelihoods / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / Research

ILRI data analyst wins award for presentation on new procedure for mapping livestock keeping patterns

Posted on Friday 7 September 2018 by Judy Kimani • 1 Comment

Stephen Oloo, a spatial data analyst with the Policies, Institutions and Livelihoods program at the Nairobi headquarters of the International Livestock Research institute (ILRI), has won the ‘best student presentation’ award at a ‘Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial’ conference (FOSS4G) held in Dar es Salaam 28 Aug–3 Sep 2018. Continue reading →

Agriculture / Capacity strengthening / East Africa / Ethiopia / Gender / ILRI / Livelihoods / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / PIL / Report / Women

Understanding the dynamics of empowerment among rural women in Ethiopia

Posted on Monday 16 July 2018 by Paul Karaimu • Leave a comment

Local sociocultural norms and an individual’s ability to meet socially constructed roles determine our understanding of the ‘empowerment’ of women and men in rural communities. These were the findings of a study in Ethiopia that tested the suitability of an existing survey-based Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index’s (WEAI) domains and indicators. Continue reading →

ILRI policies, instititions and livelihoods program