At more than 50 million animals, Ethiopia's livestock population is the largest in Africa and the eighth largest in the world. But livestock productivity in Ethiopia remains low. Namukolo Covic, the ILRI Director General's representative to Ethiopia, CGIAR Ethiopia country convener and the CGIAR regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, talks with Shahida Hussein, an ILRI communications officer, about the livestock challenges that are facing Ethiopia, ideas to raise productivity, and hopes for the future ..read more

Across the world, millions of people eat a 'hidden meat' - bushmeat, or wild meat. But handling or eating bushmeat can pose a higher risk of transmitting zoonotic disease - diseases which affect both animals and humans. This episode looks at a pioneering study led by scientist Ekta Patel of ILRI that investigates how people understand that risk - and whether that understanding changes eating habits.  Read more:  New study assesses disease risk perceptions of wild meat at the border of Kenya and Tanzania ..read more

Is there a conflict between supporting animal welfare, and supporting the wellbeing of the world's poor? Can we talk about animal welfare in the same way in the global North and South? Or are there important moral distinctions to be made?  To explore these questions we're joined by Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher and bioethicist, Rebecca Doyle, who leads ILRI’s efforts on animal welfare, and Michel Dione, a senior scientist in Animal Health at ILRI. Further reading: Peter Singer: One of the world’s most controversial philosophers explains himself - Vox Peter Singer's website Rebe ..read more

In the second of our episodes featuring writer Roger Thurow, we hear about what inspired his most recent book, 'The First 1000 Days'. What exactly is this crucial period of life - and what is its impact on the rest of a child's life? Malnutrition is a terrible burden to bear, but as Thurow warns, it ultimately affects us all. Further reading and listening: Roger Thurow | The Chicago Council on Global Affairs Listen to our podcast featuring child nutrition expert Lora Iannotti from Season 2 of The Boma here Script written by David Aronson ..read more

Roger Thurow is a senior fellow for global agriculture and food policy for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He writes about many of the same issues that animate the work at the International Livestock Research Institute - nutrition, development, hunger, and aid for subsistence farmers. As a writer, Thurow conveys what the lives of the poor are like in vivid, granular detail. We hear from him about what inspired him to focus on these issues - and how he has seen the lives of smallholder farmers change for the better. Further reading Roger Thurow | The Chicago Council on Global Affairs ..read more

Where does digital technology fit in with livestock farming? Can flying animal vaccines in by drone to remote regions help address gender inequality? Find out on this special episode of The Boma! In this podcast, we hear about the barriers to digital technology and farming difficulties that women face, then follow how ILRI and the CGIAR are working to close that divide from the example of an innovative vaccine-delivery project in Ghana. We hear from Agnes Loriba, program lead and Ghana project manager at CARE International, Immaculate Omondi, a gender research economist at ILRI, and Nicoline ..read more

 Every director general knows, at the time they are appointed, exactly when they're supposed to leave because their appointment letter tells them so, says Jimmy Smith, who has been the director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) for the past 11 years. But "I didn't realise how difficult it would be to say goodbye to ILRI and the staff." In this special episode of The Boma, Jimmy reflects on his time as director general, the state of the livestock sector, and what the future may hold.  ..read more

"You guys are coming when we have really suffered, when we have lost half of our herd and also when the vultures are descending from the sky." So said a Kenyan pastoralist at a meeting about drought response.  What is being done to anticipate drought, rather than to deal with the consequences?  In this episode we look at the effects of the ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa, with 17 million people facing hunger and a fifth rainy season on the way. Experts from the Jameel Observatory, including Guyo Roba, head of the observatory, affiliate researcher Gary Watmough, and Stephen Mu ..read more

In 2014 a survey found that a quarter of children under 5 in Siaya County, western Kenya, were stunted. Stunting creates lifelong, chronic health issues and worse mental development. Better nutrition can help avoid stunting, but can be a struggle for families that are already lacking money, resources and access to support. What if there was a way to empower families by improving a simple resource they already have? Such as chickens, a small but ubiquitous livestock in rural communities. But proving this is not so easy. In our new episode of The Boma, we dive into the questions and answers to ..read more

Droughts have always occurred in the Horn of Africa, but in the past few years they have begun happening much more frequently.  An award-winning scheme of index-based livestock insurance could provide a lifeline for millions of pastoralists whose livelihoods are affected by drought. There is no need to wait for a drought to become severe, for animals to die, or people to starve. Instead this scheme can help resilent pastoralists deal with climate shocks before they happen. Presenters Brenda Coromina and Elliot Carleton take a look at how the insurance works, and why it is needed. The i ..read more