Francis N. Wanyoike

An Assessment of the Regional and National Socio-Economic Impacts of the 2007 Rift Valley Fever Outbreak in Kenya

Although Rift Valley fever (RVF) has significant impacts on human health and livestock production, it can also induce significant (and often overlooked) economic losses among various stakeholders in the marketing chain. This work assesses and quantifies the multi-dimensional socio-economic impacts of the 2007 RVF outbreak in Kenya based on a rapid assessment of livestock value chains in the northeast part of the country and a national macroeconomic analysis. Although study results show negative impacts among producers in terms of food insecurity and reductions in income, we also found significant losses among other downstream actors in the value chain, including livestock traders, slaughterhouses, casual laborers, and butchers, as well as other, non-agricultural sectors. The study highlights the need for greater sensitivity and analyses that address the multitude of economic losses resulting from an animal disease to better inform policy and decision making during animal health emergencies.

Poor livestock keepers: ecosystem–poverty–health interactions

Humans have never been healthier, wealthier or more numerous. Yet, present success may be at the cost of future prosperity and in some places, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, poverty persists. Livestock keepers, especially pastoralists, are over-represented among the poor. Poverty has been mainly attributed to a lack of access, whether to goods, education or enabling institutions. More recent insights suggest ecosystems may influence poverty and the self-reinforcing mechanisms that constitute poverty traps in more subtle ways. The plausibility of zoonoses as poverty traps is strengthened by landmark studies on disease burden in recent years. While in theory, endemic zoonoses are best controlled in the animal host, in practice, communities are often left to manage disease themselves, with the focus on treatment rather than prevention. We illustrate this with results from a survey on health costs in a pastoral ecosystem. Epidemic zoonoses are more likely to elicit official responses, but these can have unintended consequences that deepen poverty traps. In this context, a systems understanding of disease control can lead to more effective and pro-poor disease management. We illustrate this with an example of how a system dynamics model can help optimize responses to Rift Valley fever outbreaks in Kenya by giving decision makers real-time access to the costs of the delay in vaccinating. In conclusion, a broader, more ecological understanding of poverty and of the appropriate responses to the diseases of poverty can contribute to improved livelihoods for livestock keepers in Africa. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.

Traditional livestock breeding practices of men and women Somali pastoralists: trait preferences and selection of breeding animals

Somalia, one of the worlds poorest countries, has livestock as the mainstay of the economy, with an estimated 65% of the population engaged in the livestock sector. This paper presents a gendered study on the traditional livestock breeding practices of Somali pastoralists for camels, cattle, sheep and goats, with a focus on documenting livestock traits of importance, the criteria used to select male breeding animals and the criteria used to cull female breeding animals. Data for the study were obtained by performing participatory rural appraisals (PRAs) with separate male and female pastoral groups from 20 settlements of the Tog-Dheer region of Somaliland (in north-western Somalia). In total, more than 500 pastoralists were involved. In terms of livestock ownership, goats were the most common species kept (97% of all households), followed by sheep (64%), camels (37%) and cattle (9%), with considerable herd size variation across households. Traits of key importance to the pastoralists varied by species and gender of the PRA group, but included adaptedness to harsh environmental conditions, high market value/high meat production and high milk production. The pastoralists practised sensible criteria for the selection of male breeding animals for all species, capturing aspects of productivity (milk yield, reproduction), adaptedness (good hardiness) and marketability (body size and conformation). Similarly, they practised sensible criteria for culling of female breeding animals, with females removed from the herd primarily for poor performance, but also to meet the livelihood needs of the family. Differences in the selection and culling criteria were noted by species, as well as gender of the pastoralists. On the whole, there was strong alignment between the livestock selection criteria used by the Somali pastoralists, their reasons for keeping livestock and the market requirements. This is not surprising given the intimate and long-standing relationship between Somali pastoralists and their livestock.

Knowledge of Livestock Grading and Market Participation among Small Ruminant Producers in Northern Somalia

ABSTRACT This study focused on market participation and producers’ knowledge of the indigenous livestock grading and pricing system applied to small ruminant marketing in Somaliland. Data were collected from a random sample of 144 men and women producers in three livelihood zones: Hawd pastoral, West Golis pastoral and Togdheer agro-pastoral zones. Results confirmed the importance of small ruminants as sources of income in producer households. Knowledge about the grading system was generally widespread, and this was important for market participation. Factors that significantly influenced market participation were number of animals kept, gender of sales/decision maker, age of household head and livelihood zone.

An assessment of the livestock by-products value chains in Somaliland: The case of bones and tallow

Livestock and livestock product exports are the main source of foreign currency earning in Somaliland. However, in the recent past, the growth in earnings from livestock sales has been declining against a background of increasing human population growth. Adding value to the livestock and livestock products provides an avenue for reversing the declining growth in incomes.This report presents the findings of a study that assessed the bone and tallow value chains in Somaliland. The assessment mapped and characterised these value chains and also identified the main constraints that hinder their development.The results showed that both value chains are short, use low-value inputs, produce relatively low-valued products and involve participants from minority groups, women and youths. This implies that they offer an opportunity for inclusive economic growth that encompasses the most vulnerable groups in the country. The final product in the tallow value chain is laundry soap, while bone trinkets are crafted from camel bones. Besides, the two value chains are complementary, such that some of the fats used to make soap are obtained from bone marrow fats, with the bones used in crafting of ornamental products. However, the two value chains have failed to exploit the various opportunities for growth due to a number of constraints that include low quality of the final products, lack of access to working and investment capital and inconsistent supply of raw materials.Strengthening of these promising value chains will require the following interventions among others : (i) improvement of the processing skills of the value chain actors through appropriate trainings to allow the development of quality products; (ii) enhancing access to working and investment capital, through the financial institutions or donors, that will allow acquisition of the necessary new equipment to upgrade the quality and quantity of the products; and (iii) review and/or develop new business plans for the existing businesses that should include, among others, a clear sustainable growth strategy and vision.