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Livestock

For smallholder farmers, a way out of poverty

Livestock contribute to the farming operations of more than 800 million poor smallholders. Rural households can improve their livelihoods by raising a wide variety of animals: cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, camels, llamas, alpacas, horses, donkeys, rabbits and even bees.

It is estimated that the demand for livestock products will more than double over the next 20 years, due to urbanization, economic growth and a change in consumption patterns in developing countries. Livestock is one of the fastest growing agricultural subsectors in developing countries, accounting for about 30 per cent of agricultural GDP.

About 78 per cent of the world’s poor people live in rural areas and rely largely on agricultural work to put food on their plates and make a living. Smallholder farmers will need to become more productive, efficient and environmentally sustainable to meet the requirements of growing market demand, largely from urban areas. These requirements relate to food quality, food safety and consistency of supply.

A game changer for rural families

Small and large livestock can make a huge difference to women and men's incomes while strengthening household food and nutrition security and building resilience.

Livestock provide a wide range of nutritious, protein-rich foodstuffs, such as eggs, meat, milk, and honey, which can be processed into a variety of products. This contributes to the diversification of diets and generates income. They are a source of leather, pelts, and fibres such as wool, mohair and cashmere. Manure is used as fertilizer for crops and as fuel for cooking. It can be composted or used for the production of methane in biogas digesters. Finally, livestock provide draught power for crop cultivation, and transportation for people and goods to market.

Poor rural families with no access to financial services often use livestock as a form of asset management, investing in animals when they have extra money, and selling them when they need cash or other necessities. This strengthens the resilience of those families in the face of economic and climate shocks, enabling them to plan for the future.

Maximizing livestock’s potential

IFAD supports small farmers in making the most of their livestock by protecting animal health, boosting productivity and sustainability, and helping to link farmers to profitable markets.

IFAD-funded projects involve technology transfer, training, credit for restocking, animal health services delivery, feed and breed improvement, and best husbandry practices. Through our investments, smallholder producers and pastoralists gain added value from their livestock.

Over the years, IFAD has developed a wide range of processes and tools to improve the design and implementation of our livestock projects. We work closely with governments and partners to scale up successful livestock interventions so that we can reach larger numbers of smallholders and improve production systems at the farm level.

Spotlight

Spotlight

خمس طرق يستخدمها الصندوق لجعل الثروة الحيوانيّة أكثر ملاءمة للمناخ

يعتمد العديد من سكّان الريف على الماشية لتأمين سبل عيشهم وتغذيتهم وأساليب حياتهم التقليديّة.

دعم صغار المزارعين يعزّز أنظمة الغذاء ويحفظ سبل عيشهم ويفيد كوكبنا.

Projects

Projects

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Integral Strengthening Programme for the Camelid Value Chain in the Bolivian High Plateau (Pro-Camélidos)

United Republic of Tanzania

Agricultural Sector Development Programme - Livestock: Support for Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Development

Experts

Publicador de Conteúdo

Anne Mottet

Lead Technical Specialist (Livestock), Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division

[email protected]

Charles Odhong'

Country Technical Analyst

[email protected]

Stories and news

Stories and news

خمس طرق يستخدمها الصندوق لجعل الثروة الحيوانيّة أكثر ملاءمة للمناخ

Julho 2023 - STORY
يعتمد العديد من سكّان الريف على الماشية لتأمين سبل عيشهم وتغذيتهم وأساليب حياتهم التقليديّة. دعم صغار المزارعين يعزّز أنظمة الغذاء ويحفظ سبل عيشهم ويفيد كوكبنا.

From bunnies to buffalo, livestock give rural women a living

Julho 2023 - STORY
Meet the rural women who are tending to livestock while earning a living and empowering themselves.

Winds of change for Argentina’s herders

Maio 2023 - STORY
Climate change poses a myriad of challenges for Argentina’s rural herders. But one woman has no intention of backing down and tells us how she plans to forge a new way forward.

Rural people in Sudan call time on water wars

Fevereiro 2023 - STORY
As the climate crisis takes hold and water scarcity sparks conflict, rural people in Sudan are finding ways toward peace and equitable resource management.

Livestock View more link

Related publications

Related publications

Policy brief: Low carbon and resilient livestock development in Kyrgyzstan

Julho 2023
Pastoral and agro-pastoral systems, if well managed, are the best-suited and adaptive form of agriculture for the majority of Kyrgyzstan’s land area that is too dry, cold, or mountainous for crop farming.

Photobook: Supporting Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan

Maio 2023
The Small Ruminants Investment and Graduating Households in Transition Project (SIGHT) aims to reduce poverty and improve national food security among Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan by providing a package of support to boost small-ruminant productivity.

IFAD Research Series No. 88: The Impact of Climate Change on Livestock Production in Mozambique

Março 2023
This paper focuses on activities targeting improved pasture management, supplemental feed sources and livestock value chain development.