From Animal Frontiers: Animals support families in developing countries

In a new paper for Animal Frontiers, researchers look beyond nutrition to see if raising livestock really does pay off in developing countries. They show that animal agriculture has direct and indirect effects on income, education and even gender equality.

“Livestock are often the most important asset in poor rural countries,” writes the team of researchers from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya.

In some areas, animals are a better investment than land. The researchers from ILRI explain that because livestock can be moved, they provide an economic buffer when harvests fail or disaster strikes.

“Refugees on the move frequently take their cattle, small ruminants, and even poultry with them,” they write.

Raising livestock does not necessarily mean that a family eats the meat, milk or eggs. Data from researchers in Zimbabwe show that livestock and animal products are more likely to be sold for income than consumed by poor families. This means poor families often do not receive adequate nutrition; however, the next generation can benefit.

“Many poor livestock keepers report that a key motivation for keeping livestock is to earn income so their children can attend school and, perhaps, go on to benefit from further education,” they write.

In many countries, women who raise livestock also earn economic independence. In 2009, researchers from ILRI estimated that almost two-thirds of poor livestock keepers are rural women.

“In many societies, poultry and small ruminants are often owned by women, who may also control any income obtained from their sale,” write the researchers. “This is more likely to be spent on their children or family’s nutrition than if this income is controlled by men.”

The researchers cite data from the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization showing that improving women’s “access to inputs and services” could reduce the number of malnourished people by 100 to 150 million.

To read the full paper, go to: http://animalfrontiers.org/content/3/1/6.full

View more articles from this issue of Animal Frontiers: http://animalfrontiers.org/content/current

Media Contact:

Madeline McCurry-Schmidt
ASAS Scientific Communications Associate
madelinems@asas.org/ 217-689-2435

Animal Frontiers is a quarterly magazine that explores animal science and production issues. It is joint publication of the American Society of Animal Science, the European Federation of Animal Science, the Canadian Society of the Animal Science and the American Meat Science Association.