Sustainable small-scale animal agriculture and food security in Africa

Abstract

For Africa, smallholder livestock farming is crucial for rural livelihood and food security. Understanding the connections between food security, gender inequality, and climate change can help us find solutions to Africa’s persistent food crisis. Women’s participation in small-scale animal agriculture helps ensure the food security of households; however, climate change has a detrimental effect on animal productivity, so prioritizing climate-smart animal husbandry techniques is critical. The shift in animal agriculture toward sustainability must be fueled by gender-sensitive strategies. Production and food security will improve through a transdisciplinary strategy that recognizes the connections among small-scale animal agriculture, climate change, and gender issues. Policies that are adapted to local conditions and encourage equitable growth in small-scale animal agriculture will be necessary to address the challenges this sector faces and improve food security. The majority of developing nations have institutional and technical obstacles that could prohibit the small-scale farming sector from participating in new food security efforts aimed at enhancing rural livelihoods. Therefore, it is highly doubtful that any strategy created to improve food security while downplaying the importance of smallholder agriculture will be long-term viable. The discussion makes clear the importance of small-scale animal agriculture and offers potential solutions that could be adopted to transform the small-scale animal agriculture sector to increase its value and enhance food security across the continent.