Presentation from the Biannual Meeting of the European Union Livestock Development Group (ELIDEV) 6 May 2010 Italy, Rome IFAD Headquarters. [ Originally posted on http://www.cop-ppld.net/cop_knowledge_base ]

1. be-troplive
concept note on livestock
development in developing countries
Eric Thys on behalf of the Steering Committee

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

3. 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)

4. • 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.

5. The Belgian Development Cooperation
and animal production
Guidelines and context of the Belgian Development Cooperation
Law on Belgian International Cooperation of 25th May 1999
stipulating “The primary objective of Belgian International Cooperation is sustainable
human 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

6. BELGIUM: ODA versus agriculture
including RD and food aid
2.000 12%
ODA
10%
1.600
8% Total agriculture,
food aid and rural
Million €
1.200
dev. (66%)
6% % of ODA
800
4%
400
2%
0 0%
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

7. 20%
BELGIUM: part ODA livestock versus agriculture
15%
10%
8%
5%
0%
1987 19 89 19 91 19 93 19 95 19 97 1999 20 01 200 3 20 05 20 07

10. main global challenges
• demographic growth
• increased urbanisation
• climate changes
• globalisation of the market
• world energy demand

11. Dual role of livestock
In attaining Millennium Development Goals
MDG 1 - Poverty reduction
& hunger
MDG 7 – sustainable
development

12. • 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

13. 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.

14. Target groups (2/2)
• Small-scale farmers in areas with high or
medium-high agricultural potential
• Urban and peri-urban livestock keepers
• Pastoralists

15. 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.

16. 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)

17. • 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

18. • Access to market
- two approaches : value chain approach + New Institutional
Economics
- avoid di-symmetric information flow + monopolistic input
supply
- processing is important, but new standards
- shortening the market chain
- community seller or collector versus middlemen

19. Specific approaches
for 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.

20. Supporting the traditional livestock systems
while adapting them to the new economical and
ecological challenges sounds to be the most
effective.

21. detailed approach
• 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

22. • 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

23. 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

24. Thank you for your attention