The multi-functionality of goats in rural Mozambique: Contributions to food security and household risk mitigation

It is widely acknowledged that goats in developing countries fulfill multiple functions and can contribute to improved livelihoods of smallholders. The multi-functionality of goats in rural Mozambique however is fairly unknown. The objective of the paper is therefore to identify and create a deeper understanding of the multiple functions goats currently play in the smallholders sector in Mozambique. The paper takes a sociological approach by advancing the thinking that the functions of goats are socially and culturally constructed, and not ‘given’. Qualitative data were collected by means of historical timelines in six communities and individual in-depth interviews with 18 smallholder goat keepers (three per community) in Inhassoro district, Inhambane province. In addition, findings of the quantitative baseline household survey (n=83) were used. Results showed four categories of goat functions in Inhassoro district, based on respondents’ perspectives: 1) sale in times of need, 2) exchange for services and products, 3) social life, and 4) consumption. Based on these findings, the paper discusses implications of the multi-functionality of goats for development projects, in which goats can function as financial saving and insurance, as contributors to food security, as contributors to social capital, and as commercial production commodities. Subsequently, the paper addresses a few fundamental questions about projects aiming to commercialize smallholder goat keeping, i.e. linking smallholders to markets

The role of livestock in developing communities: Enhancing multifunctionality

This book is the product of a Satellite Symposium on the Role of Livestock in Developing Communities: Enhancing Multifunctionality, held as part of the 10th World Conference on Animal Production (WCAP) in Cape Town, 22 – 28 November 2008. The Symposium, jointly organised by the University of the Free State (UFS) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) aimed to stimulate critical thinking on the role of livestock in livelihood strategies for the poor in the developing world as a contribution to address the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The livestock sector in developing countries contributes more than 33% to agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and is one of the fastest growing agricultural subsectors. The livestock sector has been experiencing what has been coined the “Livestock Revolution”. Population growth, urbanisation, and most importantly, increasing income have resulted in a rapid increase in demand for livestock products, which is likely to continue well into the future. This growth of the livestock sector presents both enormous opportunities and challenges. This book therefore comes at an opportune time for both policy makers and practitioners in developing countries, and the international community. Livestock is a major contributor to food and nutritional security, and serves as an important source of livelihood for nearly 1 billion poor people in developing countries. Its importance in attaining the MDGs should therefore not be underestimated. The book aims to provide critical information and knowledge on the importance of livestock in the global effort to alleviate poverty and promote human health. It describes and evaluates case studies, examines theoretical frameworks, and discusses key global policy development issues, challenges and constraints related to smallholder livestock-production systems around the globe. The book is written for academic professionals, industry experts, government officials and other scholars interested in the facts and issues concerning the contribution of livestock to the social and economic progress of developing countries

Designing livestock interventions for emergency situations in Southern Africa

This brief is a review of the research conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partners in Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia aimed to assess the contribution of livestock to livelihoods and its role in risk management. The objective of the study was to identify the livelihood assets and strategies of households, taking into account differences between men and women and the contexts that translate household capabilities into livelihood opportunities. The study suggests that there are marked differences in ownership of productive assets, in livelihood strategies and in vulnerability between men and women. The results of the study showed that households in southern Africa are exposed to a variety of shocks with cumulative impacts that can trigger an emergency. The main factors contributing to vulnerability to food insecurity include drought, widespread crop failure, animal diseases and declining access to livestock service delivery. These factors affect all households in a community but in different ways

Livestock, livelihoods and vulnerability in Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia: designing livestock interventions for emergency situations

This study assesses the contributions of livestock to risk management and coping strategies and to identify livestock-centred interventions that can be used to save lives and livelihoods in crisis and emergency situations in selected countries of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The specific objectives are to analyse the roles of livestock in household livelihood strategies; to examine different sources of risks and household risk management and coping strategies, paying particular attention to livestock-based strategies; to identify emergency response interventions including targeted livestock interventions for reducing food insecurity and vulnerability; and to provide a framework for identifying guiding principles for linking livelihood analysis, project and program design, and implementation in emergency situations. The countries covered in this study are Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia. The ratio of vulnerability to food insecurity appears to be growing in all of these countries with vulnerable households facing dwindling food stocks and rising prices of staple food at the time of the study (UN-RIACSO 2005)

Principles of silage making in the subtropics

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Researc