Meat, milk & more: Policy innovations to shepherd inclusive and sustainable livestock systems in Africa
This report (PDF) by the Malabo Montpellier Panel highlights options for sustainably promoting growth in the livestock sector, drawing from what four African countries have done successuflly in terms of institutional and policy innovation as well as programmatic interventions. Across Africa, consumption of animal-sourced foods is projected to increase significantly and a thriving and sustainable livestock sector will play an instrumental role in food security, nutrition, and livelihoods. However, these opportunities for the livestock sector will occur against a backdrop of climate change, growing stresses on land and water resources, conflicts and a global pandemic. Therefore, the entire livestock production and value chain need to be sustainably intensified. Challenges that remain include access to high-quality feed, limited technology adoption, low yielding breeds and stringent biosecurity standards. Sustainable livestock sector policies in Africa must hence be designed in a way that sustainably intensify value chains, and should be accompanied by solid regulatory frameworks. The case studies have shown that success has been most effective where governments have provided supporting infrastructure, increased capacity building in animal health systems and introduced fiscal incentives. In many cases these interventions were combined with a more prominent role for the private sector in the dissemination of modern technologies. By adapting the lessons to countries’ specific contexts and scaling them up across the continent, African governments can meet their national and international commitments to agricultural growth and transformation. The action agenda should include: 1) Overarching policy framework; 2) Nimble but clear regulatory environment; 3) Private sector-led investments; 4) Financial services for requirements of livestock producers; 5) Standards for international quality, food safety and animal health; 6) Availability and access to information and data; 7) Holistic approach for root causes of conflict; 8) Transition from ruminant keepers to producers; 9) Employment and entrepreneurship opportunities; 10) Investments in dairy industry; 11) Value addition and increased productivity by adopting technologies and practices.