Business and Livelihoods in African Livestock : Investments to Overcome Information Gaps

This paper investigates how the development of the livestock sector can contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in the continent, with the ultimate objective of identifying major information gaps critical to designing and implementing successful livestock sector policies and investments. As a first step, the paper presents an analysis of African consumption of animal-source foods. This is rapidly growing and is forecast to continue doing so. It therefore provides opportunities for demand-led growth. This focus is distinct from the more traditional, production-oriented entry point. To understand opportunities for poverty reduction, this paper reviews both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of African markets for livestock products, in this case animal-source foods. Second, rather than exploring production and productivity constraints, which are known to a large extent, the paper focuses on the incentives that rural households have to invest in their livestock to overcome those constraints. Indeed, farmers often fail to adopt readily available technologies. To analyze incentives, the paper reviews two intertwined dimensions of households' livestock activities, namely herd and flock size and livestock-derived income. The paper concludes by identifying investment priorities for improving the quantity and quality of livestock information so that decision makers will be better able to formulate and implement investments in the livestock sector that effectively contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: World Bank
Language:English
en_US
Published: Washington, DC 2014-02
Subjects:ABSOLUTE VALUE, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL, ANIMAL DISEASES, ANIMAL DUNG, ANIMAL FOODS, ANIMAL HEALTH, ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICES, ANIMAL INDUSTRY, ANIMAL ORIGIN, ANIMAL OWNERSHIP, ANIMAL POWER, ANIMAL PRODUCTION, ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, ANIMAL PRODUCTS, ANIMAL PROTEIN, ANIMAL RESOURCES, ANIMAL SOURCE FOODS, ANIMAL WELFARE, ANIMALS, BEEF, BEEF CATTLE, BEEF PRODUCTION, BIRDS, BREEDING, BREEDS, BROILER PRODUCERS, CASH INCOME, CHEESE, CHICKEN, COLLECTIVE ACTION, COMMUNAL AREAS, CROP PRODUCTION, CROP RESIDUES, CULTURAL REASONS, DAIRY, DAIRY CATTLE, DAIRY COWS, DAIRY MARKETING, DEMAND FOR FOOD, DEMAND FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS, DETERMINANT, DETERMINANTS, DIET, DRAFT POWER, ECONOMIC INCENTIVES, ECONOMICS, EGG, EGG PRODUCTION, EGGS, EQUINES, EQUIPMENT, EXOTIC BREEDS, FARM, FARM ANIMALS, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMS, FEED, FEEDING, FEEDING PRACTICES, FEEDS, FISHERIES, FLOCK, FODDER, FOOD DEMAND, FOOD PRICES, FOOD PRODUCTS, FOOD QUALITY, FOOD SAFETY, FOOD SECURITY, GENDER, GOAT, GOAT MEAT, GOATS, HELMINTHS, HERD, HERD COMPOSITION, HERD SIZE, HERD STRUCTURE, HERDS, HIGH VALUE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, HOUSING, HUMAN NUTRITION, INCOME FROM LIVESTOCK, INCOMES, INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, LIONS, LIVE ANIMALS, LIVE BIRDS, LIVE WEIGHT, LIVELIHOODS, LIVESTOCK, LIVESTOCK ACTIVITIES, LIVESTOCK ASSETS, LIVESTOCK DATA, LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES, LIVESTOCK FARMS, LIVESTOCK HUSBANDRY, LIVESTOCK INCOME, LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY, LIVESTOCK INFORMATION, LIVESTOCK INVESTMENTS, LIVESTOCK KEEPERS, LIVESTOCK MARKETING, LIVESTOCK MARKETS, LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS, LIVESTOCK OUTPUTS, LIVESTOCK OWNERS, LIVESTOCK OWNERSHIP, LIVESTOCK POPULATION, LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS, LIVESTOCK PRODUCT, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIVITY, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS, LIVESTOCK RESEARCH, LIVESTOCK SECTOR, LIVESTOCK SPECIES, LIVESTOCK STATISTICS, LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS, LIVESTOCK UNITS, LIVING CONDITIONS, LOCAL BREED, LOW INCOME, MANURE, MARKET ACCESS, MEAT, MEAT MARKETS, MEAT PRODUCTION, MEAT PRODUCTS, MILK, MILK CONSUMPTION, MILK MARKET, MILK MARKETS, MILK PRODUCTION, MILK PRODUCTS, MILKING, MUTTON, NATURAL RESOURCES, NUTRITION, NUTRITIONAL VALUE, PASTORAL POPULATIONS, PASTURE, PIG, PIG PRODUCTION, PIGS, PORK, POULTRY, POULTRY MEAT, POULTRY PRODUCTION, POULTRY SCIENCE, POVERTY REDUCTION, RAW MILK, RESTAURANTS, RUMINANTS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, RURAL HOUSEHOLD, RURAL HOUSEHOLDS, RURAL LIVESTOCK, SHEEP, SMALL RUMINANTS, SPECIES COMPOSITION, SUPPLIERS, SUPPLY CHAIN, SWAN, TALLOW, TICKS, TOT, TROPICAL LIVESTOCK UNIT, URBANIZATION, VEGETABLES, VETERINARY, VILLAGE,
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/02/19296769/business-livelihoods-african-livestock-investments-overcome-information-gaps
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/17801
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Summary:This paper investigates how the development of the livestock sector can contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in the continent, with the ultimate objective of identifying major information gaps critical to designing and implementing successful livestock sector policies and investments. As a first step, the paper presents an analysis of African consumption of animal-source foods. This is rapidly growing and is forecast to continue doing so. It therefore provides opportunities for demand-led growth. This focus is distinct from the more traditional, production-oriented entry point. To understand opportunities for poverty reduction, this paper reviews both the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of African markets for livestock products, in this case animal-source foods. Second, rather than exploring production and productivity constraints, which are known to a large extent, the paper focuses on the incentives that rural households have to invest in their livestock to overcome those constraints. Indeed, farmers often fail to adopt readily available technologies. To analyze incentives, the paper reviews two intertwined dimensions of households' livestock activities, namely herd and flock size and livestock-derived income. The paper concludes by identifying investment priorities for improving the quantity and quality of livestock information so that decision makers will be better able to formulate and implement investments in the livestock sector that effectively contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction.