Asian Livestock
Challenges, Opportunities
and the response
August 16‐17, 2012
Orchid Sheraton, Bangkok

Poverty, food security,
livestock and smallholder
Steve Staal
Vinod Ahuja
August 16‐17, 2012
Orchid Sheraton, Bangkok

Poverty Incidence

Undernourishment by region
Source: FAO. 2012. WORLD
Total Undernourished in developing AGRICULTURE TOWARDS
2030/2050, The 2012
countries: 827 million Revision

Household level income multipliers

Changing commodity consumption of foods—
South Asia
Source: FAO. 2012. WORLD AGRICULTURE TOWARDS 2030/2050, The 2012 Revision

Changing commodity consumption of foods
—East Asia
Source: FAO. 2012. WORLD AGRICULTURE TOWARDS 2030/2050, The 2012 Revision

Some issues and debates
• Technology and institutions
• Public‐private roles
• Smallholder capacity
• International trade

Issues and debates
• Cooperatives, producer
companies, farmer business
associations, self‐help groups
• Innovation platforms
• Contract farming
• Business development
services

Guidance sought from the forum
• The experience with collectives is mixed and the
private sector role is growing. What is continued role
of collectives in Asian livestock systems? Should
priority be to a business model approach (e.g.
producer company, Hub, contract farming)?
• Given the continued large role of traditional markets
across most of Asia, what is best role of public policy
and investment to upgrade those?
• What are the policy options and institutional
arrangement for guiding private investment so as
to capitalize on the sector potential in
contributing to more equitable growth?

Guidance sought from the forum
• Some suggest pro‐poor emphasis should be on ruminants,
where smallholders seem competitive. What should be
policy position and strategy?
• Smallholder still producing most of livestock in the region.
What are policy strategies ‐ support out‐migration, or
competitiveness?
• The nature of public and private services to plan for and
respond to market and climate risks in a timely manner?
• What are possible institutional mechanisms for improving
regional harmonization and collaboration?

Thank you