A Path to Prosperity New Directions for African Livestock

The question for the livestock sector is how and
where to take advantage of this. Understanding of
livestock value chains by development agencies
remains weak and the crucial middle men who
often play important roles moderating product flow
and communicating with all parties are rarely
consulted. Vertical linkages between actors in any
given livestock market can be improved. Few
organisations have the facilitatory skills and
expertise to strengthen whole value chains.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation uses highpowered
consultancy companies such as McKinsey
and Dalberg to carry out value chain analysis
(“talking shops”), where all the players from
production to processing to retailing come together
to agree on the demand, production parameters,
growth, centres of excellence, competitive
advantages, consumer trends, bottlenecks and
incentives, etc. These initiatives prioritise multiple
interventions that cut across a particular value
chain, usually in a particular country. Such work
needs to be massively scaled up and applied in
numerous countries with different livestock markets
and with a full range of private sector involvement.
However, there is little expertise within SSA to do
this at the moment. GALVmed, with its private
sector experience, policy expertise and network of
key partners, is well placed, working in partnerships
and promoting alliances, to help raise capacity to
carry out this work.
The nuts and bolts of how to support value chains
seems clear. FAO, for example, have check-lists of
issues to address when linking producers to
markets 130 . With the current political will toward
small farmers, facilitating linkages, scaling up value
chain analysis and provision of effective support to
particular livestock markets seems to be an
important activity that could produce quick wins.
The dearth of contract farming in the livestock
sector suggests there is a gap in this area.
GALVmed, with its experience in identifying pivotal
bottle necks and addressing policy gaps could
usefully become involved in assessments of
potential contract farming schemes.
Supporting private sector livestock investment
through the African Agribusiness and Agro-Industries
Development Initiative (3ADI) is also potentially one
of the more effective ways for the GALVmed alliance
to work with and influence African livestock
production and health to the advantage of poor
livestock keepers. 3ADI is still formulating
partnerships and roles and GALVmed has links with
several of the key parties managing the initiative.
The Impetus Strategy Paper I Page 49