Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 26, 2011 News
Jimmy Smith has been appointed the new director general designate of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi, Kenya.
ILRI board chair Knut Hove made the announcement at the 35th meeting of the ILRI Board of Trustees, recently, to an afternoon gathering of ILRI staff, management and board.
In his announcement, Hove said, ‘We are facing challenges to make livestock more beneficial to the poor and less harmful to the environments of the poor. We think Jimmy Smith is a strong leader for ILRI, one who will open up new partnerships for pro-poor livestock research.’
Born in Guyana where he was raised on a small mixed crop-and-livestock farm, Smith holds dual nationalities with Canada. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, at Urban-Champaign, USA, where he completed his PhD in animal science.
Now based at the headquarters of the World Bank, in Washington, DC, he currently leads the Bank’s Global Livestock Portfolio.
James Smith virtually grew up on the Berbice River where his parents were farmers. He subsequently attended the Guyana School of Agriculture, was employed in the Ministry of Agriculture and subsequently was granted a scholarship to study agriculture at the Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama USA where he obtained his B.Sc. degree.
On his return to Guyana, he secured employment with the Livestock Development Company (LIDCO) and was largely responsible for the development of the company’s Moblissa operation into a successful large scale dairy unit.
His performance as an agricultural manager secured his promotion to the role of Ranch Operation’s Manager in charge of Lidco’s four cattle ranches – Kabawer (Abary), Mara, Pirara (Rupunini), Ebini (on the Intermediate Savannahs) – and two large dairy farms at Moblissa and Ebini. He then enrolled in the University of Illinois, USA, where he obtained his PhD in Animal Science.
He was also employed by the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) as its Country Representative in Guyana and in 1991 joined the International Livestock Research Centre for Africa.
Earlier in his career, Smith served for ten years at ILRI and its predecessor, the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) (1991–2001). At ILCA and then ILRI, Smith was the institute’s regional representative for West Africa, where he led development of integrated research promoting smallholder livelihoods through animal agriculture and built effective partnerships among stakeholders in the region.
At ILRI, Smith spent three years leading the ILRI-led Systemwide Livestock Programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an association of 10 CGIAR centres working on issues at the crop-livestock interface. Since leaving his decade of work at ILCA/ILRI and the CGIAR, Smith has continued playing a major role in supporting international livestock for development in terms of both funding and strategizing.
Before joining the World Bank, where he has served for five years, Smith held senior positions at the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (2001-2006) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) (1986–1991).
ILRI Board Chair Hove said, “Jimmy Smith has an impeccable track record in developing extensive networks in the livestock sector globally and with development partners around the world.
“He is familiar with the CGIAR reform process and the international agricultural research agenda. We have full confidence that Jimmy Smith will build upon the strong ILRI foundation and provide the leadership and vision to propel ILRI to greater heights.”
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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