Presented by Jimmy Smith at the International Conference on Food Security in Africa: Bridging Research and Practice, Sydney, Australia, 29-30 November 2012

1. Sustainable and productive farming
systems
The livestock sector
Jimmy Smith
International Conference on Food Security in Africa: Bridging Research
and Practice, Sydney, Australia
29-30 November 2012

2. % growth in demand for livestock products
2000 - 2030
Livestock production and marketing essential – 1 billion
80% livestock products from informal markets and small farms 2
1.3 billion people employed in livestock value chains
FAO, 2012

3. A balanced diet for 9 billion:
Importance of livestock
 Enough food: much of the
World’s meat, milk and cereals
comes from developing country
livestock based systems
 Wholesome food: Small
amounts of livestock products –
huge impact on cognitive
development, immunity and
well being
 Livelihoods: 80% of the poor in
Africa keep livestock which
contribute at least one third of
the annual income and
contribute a variety of other
benefits. The role of women in
raising animals, processing and
3
selling their products is
essential.

4. Transformative partnerships and smallholders
 A positive transition of the livestock sector demands:
– Technological solutions
– Institutional solutions
• Innovative institutional arrangements to mitigate vulnerability: “safety
nets” – IBLI
• Facilitating access to markets, inputs and services
4

5. Providing “Safety Nets” through the
market: Index Based Livestock Insurance
(IBLI)
Aim: To generate a critical mass of informed
pastoralists purchasing effective IBLI contracts that
are mediated by a capacitated insurance industry
within a supportive policy and institutional
environment
• Protection against drought-related livestock
mortality: the greatest source of risk
• An alternative to food/cash aid: a productive
safety-net offering compensation in the event of
loss
• Market mediation with local and international
insurance companies.
• Innovative institutional arrangements to
integrate:
• commercial interests, academic and technical institutions,
governments and regulators, NGOs and development
agents

6. Solution driven R4D to achieve impact –
demands transformative and novel
partnerships
R4D integrated to transform selected value chains
In targeted commodities and countries.
Consumers
Major intervention with development partners
Value chain development team + research partners
Strategic Cross-cutting Platforms
• Technology Generation
• Market Innovation
• Targeting & Impact
INTERVENTIONS TO GLOBAL RESEARCH
SCALE OUT REGIONALLY PUBLIC GOODS

7. Key messages: opportunities
 Livestock for nutrition and food security:
– Direct – 17% global kilocalories; 33% protein; contribute food for 830 million food
insecure. Demand for all livestock products will rise by more than 100% in the next 30
years, poultry especially so (170% in Africa)
– Indirect – livelihoods for almost 1 billion, two thirds women
 Small scale crop livestock systems (less than 2ha; 2 TLU) provide 50-75%
total livestock and staple food production in Africa and Asia and provide
the greatest opportunity for research to impact on a trajectory of growth
that is inclusive – equitable, economically and environmentally sustainable
 That requires research that enhances understanding and targeting options
and provides biophysical and institutional solutions that must be combined
to enhance the transition of today’s smallholder livestock farms through
inclusive growth to be a vibrant part of the food, poverty alleviation,
environmental and health solutions for the future
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8. Research
Biophysical research
• Addressing productivity (feed-breed-health)
• Enhancing efficient animal production – environmental issues
• Addressing and informing livestock-human nutrition
• Disease challenges
• Practical environmental solutions
Institutional
• Incentives, institutional and partnership arrangements for
environmental stewardship and risk mitigation – payment for
ecosystem services; insurance
• Equitable, gender balanced market and service provision models
• Business enterprise models
• Evidence to guide public and private sector roles and investments in
livestock
Livestock systems transition
• An opportunity to address future food needs
• Diversity of starting points and solutions
• Research-for-development to address transition:
– Environmentally, socially, economically equitable and sustainable -
INCLUSIVE

9. Thank you
www.ilri.org

10. better lives through livestock
ilri.org
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