Supporting sustainable expansion of livestock production in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa: Scenario analysis of investment options
This study (PDF) in the Global Food Security Journal used a scenario analysis to explore what targeted investments to the livestock sector could help enhance food security in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Demand for animal source foods is growing substaintially in lower income countries, managing the associated transitions in the production of these food product emerges as a key policy debate. This study aimed to provide some insight into the potential impacts, and thus relevance to livestock sector development, of a set of technology and market-improving intervention options targeted to two developing regions particularly important to the global agenda for development. The results show that boosting livestock productivity primarily in these two regions could improve food security and producer incomes while limiting greenhouse gas emissions and agricultural water usage. Market-improving investments with similar welfare gains lead to environmental impacts that necessitate complementary investments. The study regions will need to be prioritized within the more global agenda for sustainable development of the livestock sector, including through interventions that improve market efficiencies for both producers and consumers. However, increased risks of negative environmental effects associated with market-improving innovations imply that such strategies should only be pursued alongside complementary policies and investments that more directly address the externalities. Investments that support the increased supply of animal source foods will also need to embed strategies that promote good human nutrition and health, as well as manage food safety issues that could arise.