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March 12, 2024   •   News

ILRI Vacancy: Post Doctoral Scientist – Ruminant Nutrition & Enteric Methane Emissions (open until filled)

Closing date: Open until filled
Location: Nairobi, Kenya

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a dynamic and dedicated Postdoctoral Researcher with a specialization in Ruminant Nutrition, particularly with experience in enteric methane emissions.

This position will be based at the Mazingira Centre, a leading research facility renowned for its work in environmental research in livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Details of the position and guide to applying can be found HERE.

March 7, 2024   •   News

Yasuhito Shirato is a Japanese soil scientist mainly working on soil carbon sequestration dynamics and modeling, and serving as Director, Division of Climate Change Mitigation Research, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences from 2021. He was a member of scientific and technical committee of the 4/1000 initiative for soil carbon sequestration from 2016.

Dr. Yasuhito Shirato joins Ndeye Code Laure Tall of the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA) and Dr Álvaro Roel of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA).

March 6, 2024   •   News

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition has launched a call for proposals seeking solutions to pressing challenges for short-lived climate pollutant mitigation in key emitting sectors sector. 

This call aims to bridge critical information, implementation, and finance gaps in the sector to create enabling environments for SLCP mitigation. 

Solutions supported by this call are expected to help sector stakeholders and governments implement and scale up mitigation action in line with the CCAC’s 2030 objectives. 

The call is open for 8 weeks, closing on 30, April 2024.

This call will follow a two-stage application process, consisting of a project concept note and full funding proposal. 

The first stage is this call for proposals, in which applicants are invited to submit project concept note. Applicant eligibility and project feasibility will be considered based on the concept notes submitted, and a selection of longlisted applicants will be made. 

Longlisted applicants will be invited to complete the second stage of the application process, in which they will have one (1) month to develop a full funding proposal. 

Select a sector to learn more and apply.

March 1, 2024   •   News

FONTAGRO/ MPI project ‘Soil carbon sequestration opportunities in LAC’


In the framework of the project “Carbon Sequestration Opportunities in Latin American and Caribbean Soils,” a workshop is being held in Guápiles, Costa Rica, to develop capacities for long-term monitoring of soil organic carbon stocks. From February 28th to March 1st, scientists from Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica are gathering to discuss project advancements and the latest methodologies in geospatial sampling of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC).

This project is funded by FONTAGRO and the Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand through the Global Research Alliance, as part of a longstanding partnership. The project aims to identify and evaluate different strategies for intensifying agricultural and livestock production systems in LAC with potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Its focus is on strengthening countries’ capacities to design appropriate mitigation actions through carbon sequestration in agricultural soils.

February 29, 2024   •   News

Closing date: 7 March 2024
Location: Ireland

Applications are invited for a temporary post of a UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 within UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science


A research position is available as part of the SFI BiOrbic Research Centre https://biorbic.com/ where we are recruiting a post-doctoral researcher to investigate the impact of sward type on water quality and carbon footprint of beef production systems in Ireland. Details of the position and guide to applying can be found here https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/198269.

UCD Lyons Farm – YouTube link

February 29, 2024   •   News

Closing date: 31 March 2024
Location: France

We are looking for candidates to participate in the international doctoral Cotutelle programme (ADI) funding call of Université Paris-Saclay (France) with a PhD project between INRAE (France) and CSIC (Spain)

The PhD project is entitled: Model-based design of optimal synergetic strategies for methane mitigation with fermentation co-benefits for ruminants. The PhD supervisors are Rafael Muñoz-Tamayo (INRAE), David Yáñez-Ruiz (CSIC) and Milka Popova (INRAE).

The description of the project can be found in the attached file.

Students can apply from 28 February 2024 to 31 March 2024 the ADUM platform:
https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=52598&langue=en#version

Person to contact in case of doubt or enquiry:

Rafael Muñoz-Tamayo  –  [email protected]

February 28, 2024   •   News

In collaboration with: GRA, CGIAR, Thünen Institute


The GRA (Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases), the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) and the German Federal Research Institute Thuenen are co-organizing the “International Research Symposium on Agricultural GHG Mitigation – from Research to Implementation”, which will take place in Berlin, Germany on October 21-23, 2024 and is hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

The event will cover both natural and social science research on agricultural GHG mitigation and discuss ways to transform agri-food systems towards low-emission systems. Please find further information in the attached call for abstracts or at the Symposium’s website: www.agrighg-2024.de.

We welcome contributions to this scientific conference until April 15, 2024

Please submit your abstract (max. 500 words) at: https://thuenen.limequery.com/265141?lang=en

Acceptance of abstracts will be notified by June 30, 2024.

Please forward the call for abstracts to colleagues who may be interested.

For questions, contact us at [email protected].

February 28, 2024   •   News

FFAR NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON (Feb. 28, 2024) — Enteric methane, which animals release into the atmosphere by burping or exhaling, is a significant source of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Today, the Greener Cattle Initiative (GCI), a multi-partner international consortium created by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, opened its second request for proposals for research to develop scalable technologies that reduce enteric methane emissions and benefit farmers and ranchers, consumers and the environment.

Methane and carbon dioxide are greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Yet, methane is more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Reducing the amount of methane cows emit presents an opportunity to slow the effects of climate change while also helping the dairy and beef sectors meet their sustainability goals. However, more research is needed to determine how to safely, sustainably and productively do so.

GCI will consider applications addressing one or more of the following: Delivery mechanisms of non-vaccine enteric methane mitigation technologies; impact of applying interventions early in life to reduce enteric methane emissions later in life or in offspring; combined impacts of administering multiple enteric methane mitigation technologies to examine additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects; and long-term and longitudinal studies to evaluate lasting effects of enteric methane mitigation technologies on mitigation, animal health and productivity.

A maximum request of up to $5 million is available for all proposed projects. Matching funds are optional for this program. Pre-applications are due 5 p.m. ET, April 3, 2024. All domestic and international higher education institutions, non-profit and for-profit organizations and government-affiliated research agencies are encouraged to apply. Visit the GCI Request for Applications webpage for additional information.

Additionally, FFAR is hosting an informational webinar about this funding opportunity on March 6, 2024, at 3 p.m. ET.   Preregistration is required. A recording of the webinar will be available on FFAR’s website. FFAR invites interested individuals to submit questions in advance of the webinar to [email protected]

“This research is aimed at developing more enteric methane mitigation options for farmers and ranchers, so they can make informed, individualized decisions based on the conditions unique to their farms,” said Dr. Juan Tricarico, senior vice president for environmental research at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “Scientifically proven solutions addressing farmers’ needs across the multitude of farming systems that exist today is critical for increasing adoption rates of these new technologies and methods and reducing greenhouse gases.”

 In 2023, GCI awarded its initial grants in the total amount of $5,554,669 to Penn State’s Distinguished Professor of Dairy Nutrition Dr. Alexander N. Hristov; the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Animal Sciences Professor Dr. Roderick Mackie; and the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Assistant Professor of Quantitative Genomics, Dr. Francisco Peñagaricano.   

# # #

The Greener Cattle Initiative The Greener Cattle Initiative, launched by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, is the first consortium to share knowledge, leverage investments and accelerate research to develop scalable and commercially feasible solutions that reduce enteric methane emissions. The Greener Cattle Initiative includes stakeholders from across the dairy and beef value chains and supporting nonprofit organizations including: ADM, the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), Elanco, Genus plc, JBS USA, the National Dairy Herd Information Association, Nestlé and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC).

February 16, 2024   •   News

Closing date: 27 March 2024

You are inviting you to take part in a public consultation for a science-based protocol that has been developed to include dairy mitigation technologies into lifecycle assessment.

The protocol, developed by a consortium of dairy organisations and scientists including those involved in the GRA, is developed for use of dairy organisations to provide robust validation for the GHG emission reductions that are claimed when using new mitigation technologies. The consultation is seeking feedback on the proposed approach of the protocol from experts and those who may be involved in similar work.

The Protocol

This protocol sets out the criteria and approaches that, when applied to a GHG mitigation technology, will provide the necessary confidence for both the dairy organization claiming the mitigation and stakeholders that their products are safe to consume and the claimed GHG emissions reductions are robustly validated.

Consultation

The purpose of this consultation is to encourage review and feedback from a wide range of expertise and perspectives. Further information and all associated documents can be found HERE.

The project Collaborators and the Research Team are excited to receive your feedback, using the downloadable feedback form, by Wednesday March 27, 2024, to this critically important piece of work.

For all enquiries, please contact Brian Lindsay at [email protected]

February 14, 2024   •   News

For our new project “Digital technologies to Increase the Sustainability of African Livestock systems under climate risks (DISAL)”

Closing date: 5 March 2024

Location: Munich area in Germany
Location: Brisbane, Australia


Are you interested in #sensing_technologies and enjoy using models and working in exciting environments to apply #data_science?
 
We are #recruiting 2 PhD students for our new project “Digital technologies to Increase the Sustainability of African Livestock systems under climate risks (DISAL)”. This is a collaboration between Technical University of MunichThe University of Queensland and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) aiming to quantify the value of emerging digital technologies to guide on-farm and landscape decisions in the livestock sector. DISAL will explore in particular sensing technology (drones) to monitor biomass, emissions and biodiversity, and ear tags to monitor cattle movements. Production models (crop, grassland and livestock), economic models and data science will help us assess millions of farming options under a range of future climate and market scenarios.
 
One PhD position will be based in the Munich area in Germany: https://lnkd.in/dMhsDWx7
 
And the other PhD position will be based in Brisbane, Australia: https://lnkd.in/dKiRnF5P
 
There is travel between these countries and to conduct field work in #Kenya.
Supervisory team:
#Adam_Komarek (https://lnkd.in/dkmxRkAi)
Claudia Arndt Daniel Rodriguez

February 7, 2024   •   News

FONTAGRO’s 2024 Research Call in Collaboration with New Zealand
Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean!
Spanish version listed below.

📅 Deadline: April 3, 2024, 3 pm (US Eastern Time)
🌍 Scope: Latin America and the Caribbean
🤝 Partners: FONTAGRO and New Zealand
📢 Announcement of selected projects: August 2024


Objective: Develop regional projects that provide concrete evidence on promoting interconnected, efficient, sustainable, and resilient production systems through knowledge, science, technology, and innovation, resulting in a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

For those interested, please see below and have a look at this website.