be-tropliveconcept note on livestock

development in developing countries

Eric Thys on behalf of the Steering Committee

• Responds to the request of the Belgian Cooperation to create focal points for different disciplines

• Funding DGDC from 2006 onwards (Directorate-general Development Cooperation – working budget + 30 % FTE since 2008)

• Secretariat located at the department of Animal Health, Institute of Tropical medicine Antwerp

The Belgian Platform on Tropical Animal Health & Production was created in 2006

objectives are

• to create an informal network allowing exchange of information among Belgian experts and partners

• to stimulate synergy and coherence in the field

• to improve the relations with the agricultural and the medical sector (One health principle)

• to participate in advocacy for keeping livestock on the agenda (Livestock dilemma with ELIDEV, Livestock week 2009, contacts with other platforms – FVI, Heifer NL, Swiss LivestockNet, CTA Brussels Briefings, …)

for more details : www.be-troplive.be

• to participate in the thematic platform on agriculture and food security coordinated by DGDC.

The Belgian Development Cooperationand animal production

Guidelines and context of the Belgian Development Cooperation

� Law on Belgian International Cooperation of 25 th May 1999stipulating “The primary objective of Belgian International Cooperation is sustainablehuman development, to be achieved by combating poverty, based on the concept of partnership and in compliance with development criteria.”

and � “Belgian International Cooperation shall engage in direct bilateral cooperation in the

following 5 sectors:

�Basic healthcare, including reproductive health;� Education and training;� Agriculture and food security;� Basic infrastructure;� Conflict prevention and social consolidation.”

� Agriculture sensu lato has to take account of gender, environment and social economy

BELGIUM: ODA versus agriculture including RD and food aid

0

400

800

1.200

1.600

2.000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Mill

ion

€

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

ODA

Total agriculture,food aid and ruraldev. (66%)% of ODA

BELGIUM: part ODA livestock versus agriculture

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

8 %8 %

main global challenges

• demographic growth • increased urbanisation

• climate changes• globalisation of the market

• world energy demand

Dual role of livestockIn attaining Millennium Development Goals

MDG 1 - Poverty reduction& hunger

MDG 7 – sustainabledevelopment

• Aid should be in accordance with the Declaration of Paris on aid efficiency and with the key-messages of the Accra High Level Forum .

• A prerequisite to invest in that sector in a given country is that the country pays enough attention to the sector, gives the necessary institutional support and allocates sufficient budget to it.

• Mitigating the negative aspects : as livestock-related activities contribute 1°to the ecological footprint , 2°climate change, 3°air and water pollution, and 4°transmission of disease to man mitigating those negative aspects should also be included as a key element in each intervention

Target groups (1/2)

human-centred approach�good comprehension of the decision-making

mechanisms in various communities the main challenge being to harmonise a community-led approach with a commodity driven market for the benefit of poor populations

from commodity to community concept.

Target groups (2/2)

• Small-scale farmers in areas with high or medium-high agricultural potential

• Urban and peri-urban livestock keepers

• Pastoralists

Pastoralists

• mostly keeping livestock in arid and semi-arid (remote) areas.

• Livestock system is extensive and animals are moving from one place to another to optimise the use of this specific ecosystem, e.g. the scarce rangeland and water supply.

• The survival of this group is largely based on the management of the environment (grassland)

• Advantage : they are valorising zones that are not or less suitable for agricultural production or non -ruminant livestock production .

community-led sustainable livestock development

• Strengthening farmers and communities- education and information: animal husbandry, market,negotiation skills (sellers & collectors), environment- gender issues (education, promotion of adapted activities …)

- organise information flow (i.a. current prices, movements)

• Strengthening animal disease control- veterinary public health (food safety & nutrition)- delivery of vet services (privatisation, CAHW’s, remote areas)

• Strengthening livestock service delivery- privatisation + state services more active in remote areas- promotion of private extension where possible

- adapted inputs : local breeds, dairy /beef- water supply management (wells committees)- small species for women (poultry, mini-livestock)

• Access to financial services (saving, credit, insurance)- increase the visibility of the production (from informal to formal)- allow perpetuating traditional systems of money lending(warm vs cold money)

- alternative systems of protection (insurance) and savings to increase destocking

• Access to market- two approaches : value chain approach + New Institutional

Economics- avoid di-symmetric information flow + monopolistic inputsupply

- processing is important, but new standards- shortening the market chain- community seller or collector versus middlemen

Specific approachesfor arid and semi-arid areas

Herd or flock mobility in arid settings = guarantee for the preservation and the valorisation of the

environment.

past initiatives to promote settlement of the nomadic groups had a very negative impact on

the ecology of the zone.

� Supporting the traditional livestock systems while adapting them to the new economical and

ecological challenges sounds to be the most effective.

• valorisation of traditional knowledge at all levels • guaranteeing herd mobility

• promote destocking of old and unproductive animals or at the on-set of a dry period spell (announced by community based early warning systems)

• Provide alternative saving opportunities to the cattle bank

detailed approach

• development of sound specific commercial chains with an adequate control system

• Improvement of conflict management through increased dialogue among the actors. Pacification of those areas is a fundamental requirement to guarantee the viability of the system !!

• development of innovative approaches helping to reach the pastoralists despite their mobility

• improving water access and management (wells committee, …)

• taking livestock production into account in the various rural development policies

• A political consensus regarding pastoral development should be reached at regional level regarding

Axes of priority research• Identify feed – and water efficient local breeds.• Map genetic resistance to environmental conditions (climate,

diseases, parasites, …) in indigenous and improved breeds must be investigated.

• Select fodder plants and feed resources combining an acceptable nutritional value and a capacity to enhance the energy and water-use efficiency of the production systems.

• Investigate or develop new technologies allowing the use of non conventional feed resources.

• Develop animal feeding strategies, including range management, within a larger frame of climate changes and reduction of available rangeland (e.g. re-use of water and organic solid waste as feed …).

• Implement a multidisciplinary research (with anthropologists, …) to better understand perceptions and attitudes

Thank you for your attention