Abstract
The global increase in the demand for and production of animal-source foods (four-to five-fold increase between 1960 and 2015), which has been mostly concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), provides smallholder livestock producers with an opportunity for improving their livelihoods and food and nutrition security. However, across livestock production systems in many LMIC, limited supplies and high cost of good quality feed severely constrains exploitation of this opportunity. In many of such countries, feeds and feeding-related issues are often ranked as the primary constraint to livestock production and increased consumption of animal-source foods. Here we review the complex biophysical, socio-economic and technological challenges related to improving quality feed supply and the reasons for generally low adoption of apparently proven feed enhancement technologies. We describe also successful interventions and conclude by recommending strategies for improving quality feed supply in LMIC that account for and overcome the prevailing challenges.
Highlights
Livestock are an important livelihood source for over 900 million small scale producers in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), a source of nutrient-dense animal source foods (ASF) and income for members of such households (Dolberg, 2001)
Despite the availability and validation of various technologies that can increase feed quality and supply in diverse agroecological and production settings in LMICs, limited supply of quality livestock feed continues to be a major constraint to livestock production
Limited supply of quality feed is the main constraint to development of the livestock sector in many LMIC, and it constrains attainment of food and nutritional security
Summary
Livestock are an important livelihood source for over 900 million small scale producers in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), a source of nutrient-dense animal source foods (ASF) and income for members of such households (Dolberg, 2001). Despite the availability and validation of various technologies that can increase feed quality and supply in diverse agroecological and production settings in LMICs, limited supply of quality livestock feed continues to be a major constraint to livestock production. This is because of low adoption of such technologies by smallholder producers who dominate farming in LMIC (Owen et al, 2012). This inadequate supply of quality feed perpetuates global food insecurity directly by limiting livestock productivity. We describe successful interventions and recommend strategies for improving quality feed supply in LMIC that account for and overcome the prevailing challenges
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