Livestock Services and the Poor: A global initiative - IFAD

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18 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR Integrated livestock and crop production can increase farm productivity Common lands for grazing are shrinking Livestock can help maintain natural capital The integration of livestock in crop production can enhance the sustainability of farming systems because the use of livestock provides draught power and transport, improves soil fertility and increases the productivity and income opportunities for poor households, while helping households finance the purchase of farm inputs. Recent studies report examples in which the integration of livestock and crop production has improved farm productivity and income by from 50 to over 100% (Lekule and Sarwatt, 1996; Rangnekar, 1997; Ogle, 1996; Zerbini and Larsen, 1996). Gryseels (1988) found a positive correlation between livestock ownership and yield per hectare if the cash generated by livestock sales is used to purchase crop inputs. Box 1.3 provides an example where the integration of goat manure in crop production significantly increased grain yield in farming systems. Box 1.3: Introduction of zero-grazed dual-purpose goats on farms in the United Republic of Tanzania Manure was collected and employed in crop production. The use of goat manure significantly increased overall soil pH and nutrients, and this greatly enhanced crop production. Maize grain yields rose from 450 to 1 450 kg/acre, sorghum from 380 to 900 kg/acre and millet from 370 to 780 kg/acre. Moreover, the cash income obtained from vegetable production increased by 206% per year. Shirima (2001). However, while livestock can contribute to the maintenance of natural resources, a general reduction in the availability of natural resources such as common lands for grazing can negatively affect poor livestock keepers. Many poor farmers rely on common lands to graze their livestock. These resources, however, are constantly being diminished because of the increased pressure on land exerted by growing populations and
CHAPTER 1: POOR LIVESTOCK KEEPERS by other development interventions. For example, Jodha (1992) found that common property resources in various states of India declined by between 31 and 55% over 1951-81. Commercial development sometimes accelerates this process. LID (1999) found several examples of commercial livestock developments that benefited wealthier farmers who then privatized common lands and thereby excluded poor neighbouring farmers. Livestock development that does not also consider poverty can crowd out poor livestock keepers. Livestock keeping by poor people in densely crowded urban slums constitutes a particular threat to natural resources. The animals compete with humans for the scarce water resources, and the animal waste causes environmental and human health hazards through both the pollution of land and water and the transmission of disease between animals and humans. The role of livestock in environmental management is discussed in the publications of a global network, Livestock, Environment and Development (de Haan et al., 2001), which describes the situation and the environmental impact of livestock production worldwide. Livestock can enhance human capital and reduce malnutrition Livestock production can enhance human capital in several ways. The Bangladesh and Orissa case studies provide examples of how poor people have increased their knowledge and status both in the community and in families through livestock production and organization in community and producer groups. In a study of the impact of a smallholder livestock development project in Bangladesh, Nielsen (1996) found that all participating women had increased their incomes. The extra income was used to buy more food, send children to school and augment assets such as land. The women also enhanced their participation in decision-making at the household level. These findings have been confirmed in a recent impact study of the Bangladesh Semi- Scavenging Poultry Model. The women said that poultry production boosted their influence on financial matters in the family and raised their status in society (Lund, 2002). Livestock production can empower vulnerable groups 19
Page 1 and 2: Nearly one billion livestock are ke
Page 3 and 4: © 2004 International Fund for Agri
Page 5 and 6: iv Figures Figure 1.1 The poverty c
Page 8 and 9: Foreword About 900 million of the w
Page 10 and 11: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report, prepa
Page 12 and 13: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The world communi
Page 14 and 15: E XECUTIVE SUMMARY HIV/AIDS AIDS-af
Page 16 and 17: E XECUTIVE SUMMARY delivery of serv
Page 18 and 19: E XECUTIVE SUMMARY access to credit
Page 21 and 22: INTRODUCTION The fight against pove
Page 23 and 24: INTRODUCTION identity. Livestock is
Page 25: INTRODUCTION adequate for livestock
Page 28 and 29: 8 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR P
Page 30 and 31: 600 million poor livestock Keepers
Page 32 and 33: 12 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR
Page 36 and 37: Livestock can help cement social ne
Page 48 and 49: 28 Enhancing gender equity may redu
Page 52 and 53: The poor should define their own ne
Page 60 and 61: 40 Inappropriate livestock producti
Page 66 and 67: The public sector must provide an e
Page 68 and 69: Decentralization brings decision-ma
Page 70 and 71: 50 The interests of NGOs are not th
Page 72 and 73: Alternative models linking local pa
Page 74 and 75: Dominated by government and NGOs Th
Page 76 and 77: Producer organizations can also aim
Page 78 and 79: 58 Supply public support through or
Page 82: 62 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR
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CHAPTER 3: POVERTY FOCUS OF LIVESTO
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Box 3.2 shows five biases of livest
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Box 3.4: Livestock component in Cam
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limited, and the dependency on purc
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Box 3.6: A rabbit project in Togo C
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Table 3.1: Primary features of two
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Box 3.14: Self-help groups in the I
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Box 3.16: Loans for women dairy soc
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RECOMMENDED ACTIONS The overall con
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Focus on Key Issues CHAPTER 4: RECO
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Recommendations CHAPTER 4: RECOMMEN
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The following are required for more
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CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDED ACTIONS Init
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126 LIVESTOCK SERVICES AND THE POOR
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Livestock Services and the Poor: A global initiative - IFAD

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