Livestock and sustainable food and
nutrition security: Business as usual
Jean Hanson
ILRI@40 Livestock and sustainable food and nutrition security
workshop
Addis Ababa, 7 November 2014

Where are we now
• Area for cropping is expanding rapidly
• Area for pasture is also expanding -70%
of previously forested land in the
Amazon is now under pasture
• Many pastures are degraded – 90% of
pastures in China are degraded

Where are we going
• Increased demand for livestock products
provide opportunities for livestock farmers
• Finite land and water resources
• 115 million hectares of land will go under crop
production, pasture area will remain stable
• Livestock production will continue to be based
on grasslands – 68% of the growth in grasslands
• Production increases are expected to come
from increased livestock numbers

Challenge
How can smallholder farmers realise the
opportunities provided by increased demand to
achieve food and nutritional security in a
changing world using finite resources with
competing demands?
What will the future look like if we continue on
the current path?