The role of livestock in poverty alleviation: An analysis of Colombia

摘要

TheobjectiveofthisstudywastounderstandtheperceptionofagriculturalproducersinColombiawhocurrentlydonotownlivestockabouttheroleofcattleinalleviatingpovertyintheirfarms.Datacamefromdirectsurveyinterviewsin2002with143farmerswhodidnotowncattleinthefivemostimportantregionsofanimalproductioninColombiatoelicittheirperceptionabouttheroleoflivestockasapathwayoutofpoverty.Selectedregionswere:Piedmont,Caribbean,theCoffee-growingregion,thehighlandsofAntioquia,andtheCundiboyacensealtiplanicie.MostsmallholdersinterviewedinthePiedmonthadcattleinthepast(85%),followedbyproducersinAntioquia(60%)andleastintheCoffee-growingregion(39%).Themostimportantreasonforsellingtheircattleinallregionswasduetofinancialcrisisandneededcash(ie.,from27%ofsmallholdersinterviewedintheCaribbeanandtheCundiboyacensealtiplanicietoalmost50%inthePiedmont).Mostsmallholderssurveyedusedthemoneyfromthesaleofanimalstopayhealthbillsoffamilymembers,topayoffdebts,and/ortousethecashtosurviveduetocropfailurefromextremeweatherconditions(ie.,droughtorfrostdamage).Themoststrikingresultisthat76%offarmersinAntioquiato97%ofsmallholdersintheCundiboyacensealtiplaniciewouldliketoowncattleiftheyhadtheopportunity.Themostimportantreasonforowningcattleinallregionswasasamechanismforsavingsandbuildingcapital.Thesecondmostimportantreasoninallregionswastoobtainmilkandbeefforfamilyconsumption,exceptinAntioquiawherethisissuewasirrelevant.Otherreasonsforowningcattleweretoreduceanddiversifyriskduetocropfailureandtoutilizemanureasfertilizer.Thepreferredanimalcategorytoowninallregionswasbyfarthemilkingcow,rangingfrom52%ofsmallholdersinAntioquiato96%intheCundiboyacensealtiplanicie.Resultsfromthisstudyshowthatcattleareperceivedbysmall-holderfarmersasacontributiontotheimprovementinthequalityoflife.Thechallengeistodevelopnovelmechanismstoprovidesmallholderswithlivestock,eitherthroughcreditloansorthrutheFondosGanaderosofColombia,whoseobjectiveistohelpsmallfarmerswhohaveproductioncapacitybutlacktheresourcestobuycattle.