STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA

STRATEGIES AND APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA

N. ASSAN

Livestock is a dominant agricultural activity in Sub Saharan
Africa, which is generally considered a key asset for most rural
population and contribute to the livelihoods and nutrition of purely
subsistence households. This discussion is a synthesis of possible
strategies to consider for sustaianble livestock production, focusing
on issues of climate change, gender, smallholder livestock support
and use of indigenous knowledge systems, and how these may
influence livestock production. There are many measures which
need to be explored with the aim of making the livestock systems
become driving forces of sustainable agricultural development. One
of the major factors responsible for the declining livestock
productivity in the region is the relegation to the background of the
contributions of women in the issues of livestock production. On the
other hand, climate change and variability is now widely regarded
as the most serious challenge facing Sub Saharan Africa, with
consequences that go far beyond the effects on the environment,
hence affecting most communities indiscriminately. Despite the
negative impact of climate change on livestock production and
biodiversity conservation, poor resources peasant famers are
incentivized to engage in these activities because of the wide
spectrum of benefits accrued, such as cash income, food, manure,
draft power and hauling services, savings and insurance, and social status and social capital. Since time immemmorial, indigenous
livestock knowledge systems have been used in smallholder livestock
farming sector, while strengthening livestock productivity. These are
some of the key aspects in promoting livestock development,
through economically and socially empowering local communities,
and consequently providing a way to enable rural communities to
break the cycle of poverty. In this discussion, some of the strategic
steps that can be adopted for future sustainable livestock
production, include and not limited to the following: promotion of
gender equality and equity in livestock production systems in terms
of equal access to livestock productive resources, boosting climate
change mitigation startegies, and empowering women in livestock
production decision making.

Scientific Journal of Animal Science

2014