New Avian Flu Project to Focus on World's Poor Farmers

Accra, May 16, GNA - A A33.9 million (approximately US$7.8 million) project has been launched to help poor farmers in developing countries safeguard their livelihoods in the event of future outbreaks of avian influenza.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) are jointly spearheading this research in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, and Nigeria, where experts will identify strategies, such as farmer compensation schemes, that can both control the disease and protect poor households from losing critical sources of income.

Funded by the United Kingdom 's Department for International Development (DFID), the project will also involve research in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, where research will be led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Royal Veterinary College, and the University of California at Berkeley, United States. In both Asia and Africa, meat and eggs from poultry are important sources of essential micronutrients for vulnerable groups, and poultry production is a central source of income for billions of poor people," explained Dr. Clare Narrod, IFPRI research fellow.

"Our goal is to help governments in developing counties, civil society, and aid agencies make informed decisions so that the costs of controlling avian flu did not fall disproportionately on the rural poor, who consume their own poultry and rely on it for their livelihoods." The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks sustainable solutions for ending hunger and poverty. IFPRI is one of 15 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, an alliance of 64 governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations.