Presentation delivered at the CIALCA international conference 'Challenges and Opportunities to the agricultural intensification of the humid highland systems of sub-Saharan Africa'. Kigali, Rwanda, October 24-27 2011.

1. Using the 'livestock ladder' to exit poverty for poor crop-livestock farmers in South Kivu, eastern DR Congo Brigitte L. Maass in collaboration with Wanjiku L. Chiuri, Rachel Zozo, Dieudonné Katunga-Musale & Eliud Birachi

6. Animal-source product value chain Markets Producers Rural retailers Consumers Urban retailers Legend High flow Low flow

8. Animal-source product value chain Markets Producers DRC Rural retailers Consumers Urban retailers Legend Highest flow High flow Low flow Producers RWA et al.

11. The livestock ladder in South Kivu: increased complexity, risk, social prestige, economic value Prospects No (formal) market, lack of knowledge, predation, diseases Good potential of reproduction, no competition with humans Cavies Without animals Chicken, rabbits, ducks Goats, swine Cattle Livestock species Market demand (chicken) Fast multiplication (swine), sign of wealth Sign of wealth, abundant manure, milk Advantages Misery, lack of balanced nutrition Diseases (chicken, rabbits), predation Diseases (swine), higher risk More difficult to manage, largest risk Disadvantages

13. Possible pathway to livelihood improvement Introduction of (forage) legumes Improved soil fertility Increased crop yields Increased stocking rates Increased cash income Better family nutrition More animal produce More manure produced More feed available Prospects

15. Pathway to livelihood improvement Introduction of (forage) legumes Improved soil fertility Increased crop yields Increased stocking rates Increased cash income More manure produced More feed available Larger animal species Prospects Better family nutrition Other livelihood activities More animal produce

19. Acknowledgements Project “More chicken and pork in the pot, and money in pocket: Improving forages for monogastric animals with low-income farmers“

20. General wealth classes defined in Miti-Mulungu and Tubimbi: minimum assets A vehicle, a house in durable materials, private farmland, animals for grazing No animals No animals House of straw; neither land nor animals; is used as hired labour, depends on others to survive Has nothing at all Very poor 1 cassava field, 2 cavies, 1 chicken 2-3 chickens,  3 cavies House of straw, small animals, live under difficult conditions Rabbits and cavies Poor 30 m 2 cassava, neither cattle nor goats, 1 chicken / 4 cavies  5 rabbits,  2 chickens, >3 cavies Children, pets, farmland Goats Inter-mediate 0.5 ha land with cassava, 3 cattle, 1 swine, 1 goat, 5 chicken, 2 ha oil palm >2 swine (1 st ),  4 goats (2 nd ) Goats and swine Rich 1-2 ha land with/ without cassava, >5 cattle, 0.25 ha plantains, 3-4 ha oil palms >2 cattle (1 st ), >5 swine (2 nd ) A personal veterinary; 2 ha of grazing land; cows and swine Very rich Tubimbi: men Tubimbi: women Miti: men Miti: women Wealth class

21. Nyangezi, 1600 m asl. Kamanyola, 1000 m asl. Mulungu, 1600 m asl. Tubimbi, 1100 m asl. All 4 field sites in DRC, January 2010

22. Farmer evaluation of herbaceous forage legumes * mentioned, but not among the top five; n.m., not mentioned. Mean rank of top five evaluation criteria applied by farmers to various herbaceous legumes during the dry and rainy seasons in four locations of S Kivu n.m. (6)* Promotes high milk production 5 n.m. Serves for erosion control 4 (9)* Improves soil fertility (8)* 5 Disease resistant 3 4 Well accepted/palatable 2 3 High nutritive value (6)* 2 Dry season tolerance 1 1 High biomass production Rainy season (rank) N=20 women, 14 men Dry season (rank) N=21 women, 26 men Selection criteria identified by farmers