WORLDWIDE, cattle and livestock in general are recognised as essential assets for livelihoods.
Over and above their traditional importance as cultural possessions, tangible savings and social security, cattle are key to poverty alleviation, lucrative markets and a source of foreign exchange earnings.
Livestock contribute to the many different aspects of global food and nutritional security not only by ensuring enough food production (crops as well as meat, milk and eggs), but also by helping to diversify diets and balance nutrient consumption.
Statistics in 2014 showed malnutrition affected roughly 159 million or 24 percent of the world’s children and was responsible for almost half of all child deaths worldwide.
Estimates illustrate that a third of the world’s population are either hungry, stunted (by malnutrition) or subsisting on insufficient nutrients to lead a healthy and productive life.
Another third of the world’s population are overweight and face health challenges due to obesity caused by over-consumption of food.
Only below one third of the world is well-fed and well-nourished.
The above figures were revealed at a recent symposium held at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, under the auspices of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
Here, scientists from across the world gathered to discuss and find ways science and field experiences could be integrated to create effective strategies to improve nutrition through animal-source foods in some of the most impoverished regions in the world.
Speakers at the conference included renowned researchers from leading universities in the US and UK, international research organisations, donor representatives and development agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Heifer International and the World Bank.
Organised by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems, speakers at the symposium confirmed that large inequalities exist in basic food and nutritional needs between people living in the developed West and those living in underdeveloped Third World countries.
Examples given were that people in the US, Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK spend under 10 percent of household incomes on food.
While those living in African countries such as Algeria, Cameroon, Kenya and Nigeria, and those in Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Philippines spend more than 40 percent of household incomes to meet basic food and nutritional requirements.
In North America, a person is estimated to consume 100kg of meat per year or more; while in Africa, the consumption is just 13kg per person per year.
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) proffers that, as incomes rise in the low- and middle-income countries, a corresponding rise in consumption of eggs, milk, pork and poultry will occur as people diversify their diets to include more animal-source foods.
Five of the six premium-value agricultural commodities are produced by livestock that not only contribute to food and nutritional security but also boost incomes as most livestock production in the developing world, Zimbabwe included, is in the hands of the smallholders.
In Zimbabwe, the agricultural sector currently contributes 11 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) with primary production of livestock estimated to contribute 22 percent of the agricultural GDP.
The livestock sector in Zimbabwe also has the potential to be a major contributor to the attainment of the National Food and Nutrition Security Policy as well as the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-economic Transformation (Zim-ASSET); foreign currency earnings and the creation of employment through value-added chains in industries such as animal stock feeds, leather and soap manufacturing.
The value chain covers the complete range of activities required to bring a product or service from conception, through the different phases of production to delivery, the final consumers and final disposal after use; involving a combination of physical transformation and the input of various producer services.
Attention is on market focused collaboration among different stakeholders who produce and market value added products (ILO 2009).
The livestock sector also offers good opportunities for addressing youths unemployment especially in Africa where youths aged between 19–25-years form a large percentage of the continent’s total population and poorer developing countries where ‘mixed farming systems’ (crop-and-livestock farmers), most of them small-scale, supply a large proportion of the world’s production of both cereal and livestock foods.
In Kenya, an estimated 700 000 underprivileged people are employed in the dairy cattle sector.
Mixed farming systems dominate agriculture in developing countries; at least half of the world’s cereals are produced in these mixed crop-plus-animal farming systems with many co-benefits for food and nutritional security accruing from livestock production being closely integrated with crop production — for example, most waste produced on farms can easily be transformed into valuable fertiliser inputs for crop production as 23-38 percent of soil nitrogen necessary for crop production is provided by livestock manure.
Thus livestock and crop production help to reduce unnecessary costs for farmers and are closely intertwined in the global food security equation.
Currently in Zimbabwe, two Environmental Management Agency (EMA) misinformed regulations are impacting negatively on livestock competitiveness.
Under the Effluent and Solid Waste Regulations, dairy, poultry and piggery operations and beef feedlots are required to register and pay an annual registration fee, an annual inspection fee and a quarterly discharge fee based on the estimated amount of waste discharged despite the fact that such waste is used to enhance soil fertility for crop farming.
EMA Agrochemicals and Fuel Regulations require that farmers using agrochemicals or carrying more than 200 litres of fuel to obtain annual permits.
To reduce unnecessary costs and encourage more farmers, registration with EMA (Effluent and Solid Waste Disposal) Regulations of 2007 and levying requirements should be abolished.
In addition, EMA should stop levying farmers for using agrochemicals and carrying fuel and instead focus on promoting good traditional agricultural practices as well as the correct storage and handling of essential chemicals for any modern farming operation.
The African Union describes livestock as a ‘Sunrise Sector’.
In its flagship Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) advocates investments in rural infrastructure to fortify sustainable development of livestock resources and stimulate access to markets.
The industry currently contributes about 40 percent of agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) in the developing low- and middle-income countries; and is estimated that by 2050, the value of animal-source foods in Africa alone will reach US$151 billion.
In Zimbabwe, the livestock industry could be a significant contributor to the growth and development of the national economy by supporting the framework of Zim-ASSET by contributing to income generation, employment creation and value addition through stock feed manufacturers as well as meat and milk processors.
With Zimbabwe’s population increasing at an average two percent annually, livestock production plays an essential role in economic growth and development as well as value creation and beneficiation. Livestock also provides indirect benefits to the food and nutritional security of the underprivileged and nutritional security of the nation in line with Government policies.
Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD. in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, lecturer, musician, art critic, practicing artist and corporate image consultant. He is also a specialist art consultant, post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher. E-mail: tonym.MONDA@gmail.com