Role of livestock in human nutrition and health for poverty reduction in developing countries

¹ International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
² International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya; Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel
³ International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA 14850
⁴ Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA 14850
⁵ National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
⁶ University of Toronto M5T3M7 and International Potato Centre, Lima, Peru
⁷ University of California, Davis 95616
⁸ Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel
⁹ International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC 20006

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: T.Randolph{at}cgiar.org.

	Abstract

Livestock keeping is critical for many of the poor in the developing world, often contributing to multiple livelihood objectives and offering pathways out of poverty. Livestock keeping also affects an indispensable asset of the poor, their human capital, through its impact on their own nutrition and health. This paper outlines the linkages between livestock keeping and the physical well-being of the poor, and examines a number of commonly held beliefs that misrepresent livestock development issues. These beliefs limit the scope of intervention programs to promote livestock and limit their potential contribution to poverty reduction. Recognition of the complexity of the role livestock play in household decision-making and of the opportunities foregone due to misconceptions can enhance the ability of livestock to contribute to human well-being in the developing world.

Key Words: Developing countries, human health, human nutrition, livelihoods, livestock, poverty