Misc benefits of livestock for people in LMICS
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According to the FAO, livestock contributes 40% of the global value of agricultural output and supports the livelihoods and food and nutrition security of almost 1.3 billion people.
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Farm animal manure is a key resource and is used as fuel for cooking, as a building material.
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Animals also provide power for ploughing and water harvesting.
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Broadened resource base (recycling household or industrial wastes and utilisation of marginal lands and crop residues)
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Act as financial collateral.
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Store of wealth
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leather, bones and other by-products for building, clothes and tools
Buffer in tough times
Acosta, Nicolli & Karfakis, (2021) in a study of 150,000 households in 19 countries finds that small scale livestock can buffer against the negative effects of drought. Families can sell or eat livestock to make up for lost crops. For poorer families, goats, poultry, pigs and sheep were important but cows were not. While overall effects were positive, the authors point out that some other studies fail to find that animal buffer families from crop failure and drought because during these times animals can die and their prices can collapse, so selling or eating them provides little benefit (e.g. Fafchamps and Lund, 2003, Fafchamps et al., 1998, Kazianga and Udry, 2006).
Status
Interviews with African Veterinary health scientists by Bryant research argues that in West Africa, small ruminants like goats and sheep are considered more a symbol of wealth and status than food.
Culture
Livestock, particularly cattle, play a vital role in the cultural identity and social structure of Indigenous African communities such as the Borana people in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. Cattle hold symbolic and cultural significance, being slaughtered for various purposes such as meat consumption, rituals, and ceremonial events. To the Borana people, ownership of cattle not only provides resources but also enhances social status and identity within the community, contributing to food security through traditional practices of wealth sharing and fostering social bonds through communal meals.