Small-scale farmers secure income for millions. Livestock production in developing and further developed countries.

摘要

The article studies the often-neglected role of small-scale livestock farming for food security and rural livelihoods. Milk and meat consumption is predicted to increase globally by about 2% per year. The highest increases are in China, India and Africa (above 3%). Increases in developed countries are already well below 1%. Increased demand will trigger production and will put demand pressure on tropical grassland and fodder crops. More marginal grasslands will be used and hence putting pressure on wildlife and biodiversity through overgrazing. It is concluded that other measures to improve productivity, like improved animal health and flexible breeding are still underexploited. Another conclusion is to limit livestock production to a level where climate effects can be minimised and the lessons learned from industrialised animal production in developing countries may be learned.