Livestock Policies and Poverty Reduction in Africa, Asia and Latin America
Abstract
This policy briefing summarises Working Paper No. 27.
In the case study countries, with a view to rural poverty reduction, the current policy framework appears unbalanced under two perspectives. First, it implicitly focuses on livestock production and productivity, rather than on poor livestock holders and their livelihoods. Second, current policies are biased towards 'kick-starting domestic livestock markets' and 'expanding to international output markets'. Yet, secure access to basic production inputs and reduced vulnerability are key elements for poor livestock holders to efficiently respond to policies designed to 'kick-starting' and 'expanding' markets and hence to escape poverty.
Governments should be more aware of the causal links between livestock sector development and poverty reduction, and take the poor livestock-producing household rather than a production function as the entry point for policy design. This would imply focusing not only on technical issues and market policies but also on strategies promoting access to basic resources, and reducing vulnerability and transaction costs of small livestock producers. Only then will input and output market policies be effective, sustainable and pro-poor.
Citation
PPLPI, FAO, Rome, Italy, 2 pp.
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