In Central America, dairy products are an important dietary component for consumers from all social strata. The potential to increase the consumption of dairy products is high; improved value chain linkages are key drivers to increase smallholder productivity.
The aquaculture sector makes a significant contribution to income, employment creation and food security in Egypt, all of which are national priority areas given low per capita income levels, rising population, worsening food security indicators, and official unemployment levels which have remained at around 10% for the last ten years.
Uganda exhibits the highest consumption per capita of pork of any country in Africa, and is ranked 3rd on the continent in absolute number of pigs. It also appears to be experiencing the most rapid growth.
Small-scale dairy production and marketing benefits the poor in many ways, especially where increasing demand enhances those opportunities as in Tanzania. These include opportunities for intensification and enhanced productivity leading to livelihoods improvement, including through employment, besides nutrition benefits for the poor.
India faces a significant gap between the demand for and supply of milk despite milk production contributing about 18% to agricultural GDP and being—by value—the single most important agricultural commodity. About 70% of the milk is produced by small, marginal and landless farmers keeping up to 3 adult dairy animals.
Sheep are mostly kept by smallholders and the rural poor, including women headed households. They contribute substantially to the livelihoods of Ethiopian smallholder households as a source of income, food (meat and milk), and non-food products like manure, skins and wool.
Increased productivity of smallholder pig systems will have direct benefits to rural livelihoods through increased ecoefficiencies of production systems.
Most poor farmers in Mali keep small ruminants as a main source of livelihoods. Hence, sheep and goats assets are key opportunities for smallholder small ruminant producers to not only engage in income generating activities enabling them to escape the poverty trap but also to consume animal source food they could not afford to buy.
This is the first of a regular roundup of news from the CGIAR Livestock and Fish research program. Launched in January 2012, the program aims to increase the productivity of small-scale livestock and fish systems in sustainable ways, making meat, milk and fish more available and affordable to poor consumers across the developing world. Download … Continue reading »
In recent months, Livestock and Fish value chain assessment activities have been carried out in Masaka district as part of the Uganda Smallholder Pig Value Chains Development (SPVCD) and Safe Food, Fair Food (SFFF) projects. On 22 April 2013, Pastor Lukwago, one of the farmers approached by the project team, was unfortunately unavailable to meet … Continue reading »
On 1 May, Professor James Muir, formerly of the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling passed away. Muir was a founding member of the Science and Partnership Advisory Committee of the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish. Writing on behalf of the program, ILRI director general Jimmy Smith expressed his deep sadness on learning … Continue reading »
After a period of engagement and design, the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish began in January 2012. It’s first annual report was just published giving insights into progress, achievements and challenges. The program’s model to enhance the relevance, urgency and impact of its research is designed to bring together collective CGIAR capacity CGIAR … Continue reading »
The Livestock and Fish team working on the smallholder pig value chain in Uganda recently held a workshop to identify potential best-bet interventions based on the value chain assessment work. Best-bets are interventions which better fit the prevailing conditions (constraints and opportunities) under which farmers and other value chain actors operate and have more chance … Continue reading »
In recent years, Livestock and Fish program partner WorldFish works with CARE – a leading humanitarian organization – on projects to improve livelihoods in developing countries. This collaboration includes work in Egypt and Bangladesh (with the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems). In Egypt, linked with the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish, … Continue reading »
On 10 April 2013, Patricia Rainey joined the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) to be ILRI’s program support coordinator for the CGIAR research programs on Livestock and Fish and Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH). Rainey, a South African, has strong program management skills and a particular interest in research methods for development. As program … Continue reading »
