The speed of change in the livestock sector, in particular in Asia, has often resulted in systemic failures as apparent in social exclusion, widespread environmental damage, and threats to human health, FAO said today during the Asia-Pacific launch of the 2009 report The State of Food and Agriculture – Livestock in the balance.

The global livestock sector has changed at an unprecedented pace over the past few decades. The booming demand for animal-source food in the world’s most rapidly growing economies has led to large increases in livestock production, supported by major technological changes.

At present, the livestock sector is one of the fastest growing parts of the agricultural economy, contributing 40 percent of the global value of agricultural production and supporting the livelihoods and food security of almost one billion people. Globally, livestock contributes 15 percent of total food energy and 25 percent of dietary protein. Products from livestock provide essential micronutrients that are not easily obtained from other plant food products.

Rising incomes, population growth and urbanization are the driving forces behind a growing demand for meat products in developing countries—and they will continue to be important.

This surging demand has been mostly met by commercial livestock production and associated food chains. At the same time, millions of rural people still keep livestock in traditional production systems, where they support livelihoods and household food and nutrition security.

“The rapid transition of the livestock sector has been taking place in an institutional void, […] and has often significantly outpaced the capacity of governments and societies to provide the necessary policy and regulatory framework to ensure an appropriate balance between the provision of private and public goods. The result has been systemic failures, apparent in social exclusion, widespread environmental damage, and threats to human health”, said Hiroyuki Konuma, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of FAO for Asia and the Pacific.

Changes in Asia
The rapid increase in consumption of meat in East and Southeast Asia and that of milk in South Asia have been most evident and have led to a reorganization and integration of animal source food chains throughout the region. At the same time, millions of rural people in Asia continue to keep livestock in traditional systems for food and livelihood security.

Working with the governments in addressing these failures and promoting more equitable and environmentally sustainable livestock sector growth is at the core of FAO’s agenda in this sector.

(...)

“It is imperative that such efforts be realistic, equitable, and conscious of region’s socio-economic and cultural dimensions. I am confident that through a continued broad-based constructive engagement, it will be possible to move towards a livestock sector that will be able to meet the multiple objectives of society”, said Dr Samuel Jutzi, Director of FAO’s Animal Production and Health Division.

An agenda for action
FAO is calling for international action to address the substantial challenges identified by the sector; a process for building an international agenda of action was suggested to negotiate and implement necessary technological, policy, institutional and investment measures to successfully manage these risks and exploit the opportunities of the sector. Such actions need to tackle the root causes in areas where the impact of the rapid livestock sector development is negative.

(...)

For more information, contact Vinod Ahuja, FAO Livestock Policy Officer based in Bangkok, on email [email protected]