Working together to improve the livelihoods of pastoralists in Zimbabwe

Agro-pastoralists in Zimbabwe face a host of challenges, including low-yielding fodder crops, degraded land and volatile markets. Furthermore, due to the prevalence of sector-specific technologies, they lack access to solutions that can improve their integrated production systems. But, with the right training and support, food insecurity can become a thing of the past. Continue reading →

Are cows the next development boom for smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe?

Smallholder livestock farmers in Zimbabwe are beginning to flip every notion about the country’s industry on its head. Continue reading →

Blummel appointed to Livestock and Fish leadership team

 Michael Blummel, a scientist with the People Livestock and the Environment (PLE) theme, will lead  the Feeds Component of CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish.  This means he will take primary responsibility for working with a team of scientists assembled across the four Centres working on this project, to define and implement the research agenda … Continue reading →

Optimizing livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in Ethiopia

As part of an inter-regional study ‘optimizing benefits from crop residues in smallholder crop-livestock systems in Africa and South Asia’ sponsored by the CGIAR Systemwide Livestock Programme, the International Livestock Research Institute recently published a project report from the Ethiopia site. Entitled ‘Optimizing livelihood and environmental benefits from crop residues in smallholder crop–livestock systems in … Continue reading →

PLE’s got talent, a lot of big ideas – and a bright future?

A recent meeting of the People Livestock and Environment (PLE) research theme of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) underlined the creative capacity and strong potential of team members. There is enough spark, flair and daring in the pool to embark on ambitious and relevant initiatives for the future of livestock, environment and crucially the … Continue reading →

ILRI-PLE scientists embrace change, communication

Communicate, Change! That is the new mantra of the People, Livestock and Environment (PLE) team at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). During a one and a half days brainstorming retreat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the thirty-strong  team from Eastern and West Africa and India, appreciated that more communication was necessary both within PLE and … Continue reading →

Dairy intensification and milk market quality in Amhara region, Ethiopia

The first report from the ‘livestock intensification project on dairy value chains in India and Ethiopia’ (funded by the OPEC Fund for International Development) has just been released. Entitled ‘dairy intensification and milk market quality in Amhara region, Ethiopia’, the project report by Addisu Bitew and colleagues report on a study to develop a systematic … Continue reading →