Voluntary guidance tool for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity – Need, scope, nature, and development process
In March 2022, the first session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) Sub-Committee on Livestock “requested FAO to organize further consultations on the need, scope, nature, and process for the development of a dedicated voluntary guidance tool for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity.”
In response to this request, FAO is undertaking a wide ranging, inclusive and multistakeholder consultation process, under the overall direction and guidance of the Bureau of the COAG Sub-Committee on Livestock. The main findings of the consultations will be submitted to the Second Session of the COAG Sub-Committee on Livestock, scheduled to take place in May 2024.
In April-May 2023, FAO conducted the Global Survey “Need for a Dedicated Voluntary Guidance Tool for the Sustainable Enhancement of Small-Scale Livestock Productivity”. As outlined in the background document available here, the Global Survey confirmed that a global voluntary guidance tool would be useful, and this e-consultation is based on that assumption.
Objectives of this e-consultation
Based on the findings of the Global Survey, a FAO task force drafted the potential objectives, scope and nature, and process for the development of a dedicated voluntary guidance tool for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity.
With this e-consultation, FAO is seeking the feedback from key partners and stakeholders, including national governments and institutions, small-scale producer organizations, civil society organizations, global and regional development organizations, research organizations and academia, and other global and regional organizations on the following guiding issues:
A |
Please provide your suggestions and views on the proposed objectives, scope and nature of a dedicated voluntary guidance tool for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity as outlined below.Are the proposed objectives, scope and nature of a dedicated voluntary guidance tool for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity relevant and sufficiently comprehensive?Are there any major gaps or omissions? |
B |
Please share good practices, successful experiences and suggestions on the process for the development of voluntary guidance tools.Overviews of good practices and successful experiences together with a hyperlink or citation for each contribution would be appreciated. |
PROPOSED OBJECTIVES, NATURE AND SCOPE, AND PROCESS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DEDICATED VOLUNTARY GUIDANCE TOOL FOR THE SUSTAINABLE ENHANCEMENT OF SMALL-SCALE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTIVITY
Objectives
The voluntary guidance tool could help to improve sustainable small-scale livestock productivity by:
- Raising the profile and understanding of the contributions of small-scale livestock producers;
- Suggesting how common constraints to improved small-scale livestock productivity might be overcome;
- Identifying actions and practices that small-scale livestock producers and allied value chain actors could implement or advocate for;
- Identifying themes that would benefit from multi stakeholder engagement at national, regional and/or global levels.
Nature and scope
The tool could be global in scope but focus on low- and middle-income countries, where small-scale livestock production is most important and productivity is reported to be lower.
The potential voluntary guidance tool would provide governments and other stakeholders of the small-scale livestock subsector (including producers and their organizations, civil society organizations and the private sector) with internationally recognized, locally and nationally adaptable guidance and principles that they can voluntarily use as a basis for updating or strengthening of their national strategies, policies, legislation, programmes, investment plans and activities for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity. The guidance and principles would be presented in the same format employed in other voluntary guidance tools developed by FAO.
Given the great diversity of small-scale production systems and that there is no single, agreed definition of the subsector, the voluntary guidance tool would not prescribe a definition of small-scale livestock producers and would focus on farmers and pastoralists, who, at the national level have limited resource endowments, relative to other livestock keepers in the sector. It would focus on production systems that rely mainly on the family labour of both women and men and are integral to household livelihoods and consider both pastoralists and small-scale intensive and extensive farmers.
Process
What would the process for preparing the voluntary guidance tool look like?
The voluntary guidance tool would be developed through an inclusive and participatory process under the overall direction and guidance of the Bureau of the COAG Sub-Committee on Livestock. FAO would play a facilitator role and organize, depending on the funds available: in-person or virtual global and/or regional multi-stakeholder consultation workshops and e-consultations. The draft of the voluntary guidance tool would be submitted to the 3rd Session of the COAG Sub-Committee on Livestock for review and feedback.
Who would participate in the preparation of the voluntary guidance tool?
The consultations would involve representatives of governments, small-scale livestock producers and their organizations, researchers, civil society, development partners, and other relevant private- and public-sector actors. Consultations would be carried out in line with relevant FAO guidelines and strategies, such as the Guidelines for Ensuring Balanced Representation of Civil Society in FAO Meetings and Processes.
The outputs of this online consultation will contribute to the inclusive multistakeholder consultation process, requested by the COAG Sub-Committee on Livestock.
The comments are welcome in English, French and Spanish. To take part in this online consultation, please register to the FSN Forum, if you are not yet a member, or “sign in” to your account. You can insert your comment in the below box “Post your contribution” on this webpage.
The consultation is open until 8 January 2024.
We thank in advance all the contributors for reading, commenting and providing inputs and look forward to your active participation in this consultation process!
Co-Facilitators:
Badi Besbes, Senior Animal Production Officer, Animal Production and Health Division (NSA), FAO
Giacomo de’ Besi, Animal Production Officer, NSA, FAO
Robyn Alders, Senior Consultant, FAO
REFERENCES:
- Report based on the outcomes of the Global Survey “Need for a Dedicated Voluntary Guidance Tool for the Sustainable Enhancement of Small-Scale Livestock Productivity” (available in English, French and Spanish).
- Supplementary material: Respondents and detailed results of the global survey (available in English).
Темы
- Прочитано 56 комментарии
World Rural Forum - Latin America and the Caribbean
The consulted organisations agree on the objectives proposed in the instrument. Regarding the beneficiaries, it is mentioned that the instrument should not only focus on low-income countries, and suggested not to lose sight of countries categorised as developed, as some countries in Latin America have high levels of inequality. Livestock farmers and pastoralists are family farmers and this category should be reflected in the instrument, stating that in many cases family farmers carry out mixed farming activities, growing crops and raising animals at the same time.
The case of Argentina was mentioned, where livestock farming is a very important sector characterised by its informality in many cases. This means that small informal livestock farmers do not have access to state subsidies, are outside the system, do not keep records and do not have access to veterinary services. Because Argentina is very large and sometimes it is necessary to travel many kilometres to complete formal procedures.
For this reason, they consider that small livestock producers are invisible, at least in the countries that are meat exporters, such as Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. Small producers make a great contribution to nutrition at the local level, but because of their informal status, they are invisible and do not have access to resources.
This small-scale productivity instrument is considered as a circular economy in which to profit from all aspects of farm production. As an example, the use of manure for composting. There are topics such as gene banks or the use of new technologies, areas in which small family livestock farmers do not have access to information, therefore, it is important that this type of tool gives the opportunity to train small family farmers in innovative and emerging areas to get the most out of their production.
Public policies of the countries in the region sometimes do not respond sufficiently to the needs of family farmers, are weak and obsolete. For this reason, greater focus should be paid to overcome the possible barriers to implementing this voluntary tool.
Another issue highlighted is the financing of small family farmers. It essential to guarantee investment for small producers so that they can respond to unforeseen events such as floods or droughts. It should also include risk policies with a low rate to compensate them in the event of a disaster so that they can recover.
They claim that this tool aims to provide opportunities for family farmers through training and information on productivity development, but many of the family farmers themselves are not really aware of the effect they are having on the local economy through their actions. It would be interesting if they could be shown how their small-scale practices contribute significantly to local and national food supply, food security and nutrition.
It is also important to incorporate other elements into the dialogue, such as new production models, energy consumption models and climate change. It is also important to include more representation from civil society organisations and other farmers' and livestock farmers' organisations in the dialogue.
Finally, they point out that many farmers and pastoralists feel threatened by macro food businesses and extractivist systems of land occupation. Therefore, small farmers are trying to generate better conditions to protect their productions, hand in hand with actions to protect the soil, the environment and regenerative livestock farming.
The “Manual on Agroecological Goat Breeding" produced by INCUPO (Argentina) was shared as an interesting material for consideration in the development of the tool.
World Rural Forum - Africa
In Africa it is necessary to enhance policy frameworks for sustainable land use management in livestock farming.
It is recommended that the tool should provide guidelines on issues relevant to a sustainable intensive and extensive livestock farming system, based on animal and environmentally friendly practices, so that farmers, especially at the grassroots level, know and understand them very well in order to be able to apply them. Animal rights were also emphasised, e.g. overcrowding on production farms, the abuse of antibiotics and waste management. The rights of farmers and herders should also be taken into account. For example, in cases where nomadic pastoralists are evicted from grazing land and other cases on land tenure for small-scale livestock owners.
Considering the devastating conditions that are emerging in the environment as a consequence of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, it is remarked that intensive livestock farming, where large flocks of animals coexist in a confined space, produce a lot of waste and this waste turns out to be dangerous for our ecosystem due to greenhouse gas emissions.
In that sense, farmers want to continue working with their livestock, but they do not want to be part of the pollution and global warming problem due to the production systems they use. Therefore, they value the possibility to further study and research this problem in order to find sustainable solutions.
A good practice in Uganda was shared by ESAFF, where family farmers are grazing dairy cows that feed and nourish the whole family and allow them to save money to spend on other basic needs. Have set up cooperatives to support families who choose to graze dairy cows.
World Rural Forum - Europe and Central Asia
It is considered that the report document is very focused on productivity. A stronger focus on sustainability is recommended. It is crucial to put the farmer, the land, the family, the role of women, youth, ecology, environment and professional development at the centre alongside productivity.
Greater attention is recommended to discuss the role of smallholders and their ecosystem services that benefit society and the global challenges of climate change and desertification that we are currently facing.
The focus should be on low- and middle-income countries and small-scale livestock production as vital factors.
Certain limitations to the tool are identified: the specificities and diversities of small-scale livestock production vary from region to region and from country to country. That makes difficult to take into account all the specificities to be considered in a single tool. For when we rise to a global level, the overview becomes less clear, and we may miss some essential details.
The new Pastoralist Law for leasing land for nomadic pastoralism in Kyrgyzstan was highlighted as a successful experience in the region.
World Rural Forum - Asia and the Pacific
The tool is considered applicable to the producers’ organizations in the region, especially as it focuses on smallholder farmers and the opportunity to strengthen their livelihoods through livestock production.
Good practices being developed by PIFON in some Pacific countries were highlighted, integrating livestock into a regenerative agriculture system.
Г-жа Lídia Gómez Segura
Des de Cataluña nos parece muy buena idea hacer un proceso de consulta sobre la mejora sostenible de la productividad de la ganadería a pequeña escala. En este sentido en Cataluña hemos estado trabajando en un procedimiento de la producción agrària sostenible de manera que las explotacions tanto agrícoles como ganaderas puedan calcular su perfil de sostenibilidad y de manera voluntària puedan certificarse. Hemos contemplado todas las explotacions ya sean pequñas com grandes y mediante las tres vertientes (ambiental, econòmica y social). Además estamos elaborando una ley de la producción agraria sostenible.
En cuanto a los objetivos presentados en la consulta, nos parecen adecuados. Sobretodo el objetivo de “Identificar acciones y prácticas que los productores pecuarios en pequeña escala y los actores de la cadena de valor afines podrían aplicar o promover.” Nos parece muy interesante este punto, ya que es complicado establecer dichas acciones debido a la complejidad del sector ganadero, puesto que presenta muchas variabilidades en función de la especie y tipo de explotación (intensiva, semi-extensiva, extensiva).
En cuanto a la naturaleza y alcance del instrumento, pensamos que es buena idea empezar a pequeña escala en países de ingresos bajos y medios. Sin embargo, es importante poder en un futuro traspasar los métodos y resultados obtenidos de este proceso a una escala mayor y a países desarrollados donde también la ganadería local tiene un peso importante en la economía.
Finalmente, creemos que iniciativas como ésta son muy importantes para la mejora de la productividad ganadera a pequeña escala, de manera social, económica y ambientalmente sostenible y que podrá generar beneficios directos para muchas personas y para el cambio climático y la degradación del medio ambiente.
Small-scale livestock farmers in Sri Lanka face various challenges, including limited access to resources, technical knowledge, and markets. The government and non-governmental organizations often implement programs to support these farmers through training, improved breeding practices, and market linkages.
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in small-scale livestock production. Efforts are being made to promote better animal husbandry practices, reduce environmental impact, and enhance overall productivity.
Overall, small-scale livestock production in Sri Lanka plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of many rural communities, contributing to food security, income generation, and the overall development of the agricultural sector. Continued support and investment in this sector are essential for the well-being of small-scale farmers and the sustainable growth of the livestock industry in Sri Lanka.
Voluntary guidance tool for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity – Need, scope, nature, and development process
E consultation
Developing a guidance tool is a timely requirement to facilitate the promotion of small-scale livestock productivity. I fully agree with an immense importance of this activity when I consider the current status of small-scale livestock productivity in Sri Lanka.
Small-scale livestock production in Sri Lanka plays a vital role in the country's agricultural landscape, providing a source of livelihood for many rural communities and contributing to the nation's food security. Livestock farming in Sri Lanka typically includes cattle, goats, pigs and poultry. However, there is no clear definitions on how we categorize farms as small-scale and large-scale.
Cattle farming is prevalent, with farmers raising indigenous breeds or their crosses for milk and meat production. These animals are often well-adapted to local conditions and contribute to the dairy industry. Goats are also commonly raised for meat, and their ability to thrive in diverse environments makes them suitable for small-scale farming.
Pig farming is another aspect of small-scale livestock production in Sri Lanka, with farmers rearing pigs for meat consumption. Pigs are often kept in small numbers, and their adaptability to different feed sources makes them suitable for smallholder operations.
Poultry farming, particularly chicken rearing, is a popular and accessible enterprise for small-scale farmers. Chickens are raised for both meat and egg production, providing a valuable source of protein and income. Additionally, backyard poultry farming allows farmers to manage their flocks with relatively low input costs.
Based on recent research into various poultry production systems in Sri Lanka, I have gained insights into the status of small-scale poultry operations. It has become evident that family poultry plays a unique role within communities, extending beyond merely meeting protein and micronutrient needs in resource-poor settings. The significance of family poultry is deeply rooted in socio-cultural aspects.
One notable observation is the limited knowledge, attitudes, and practices among small-scale poultry farmers regarding poultry diseases, vaccination, and bio-security measures. It is concerning that many farmers have not recognized disease outbreaks as a prevalent issue. This less prevalence of disease occurrence might be attributed to the inherent disease resistance demonstrated by indigenous chicken breeds, as indicated by some researchers. However, this positive aspect has been viewed negatively by the commercial poultry industry, which perceives small-scale poultry operations as potential disease reservoirs.
Before the recent economic crisis, Sri Lanka enjoyed a demand-sufficient status in both egg and chicken meat production, with large private sector companies dominating the market. Unfortunately, small-scale poultry operations have been largely overlooked, given their relatively low contribution to national production. Despite this, there is a substantial demand for eggs and meat from village chickens produced by small-scale farmers. Consumers are willing to pay a premium, often double the price of broiler meat, demonstrating the market potential for these products.
It is essential to recognize the untapped potential of family poultry in Sri Lanka as well as in other low and middle income (LMIC) countries and address the existing gaps in knowledge and practices among small-scale farmers. Developing a guidance tool is a timely requirement to facilitate the promotion of small-scale livestock productivity. This tool can serve as a valuable resource to enhance the productivity and sustainability of small-scale poultry operations, meeting both consumer demands and contributing to the overall economic development of the poultry sector in Sri Lanka.
Ruwani Kalupahana (PhD)
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Pharmacology
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science
University of Peradeniya
Sri Lanka
Permanent Representation of Argentina to FAO, FIDA, WFP
Esteemed Secretariat,
We hope this email finds you well and safe.
We have the honor of contacting you concerning the consultation exercise, promoted by the FAO Subcommittee on Livestock, towards the potential elaboration of a document entitled “Voluntary Guidance Tools for the sustainable enhancement of small-scale livestock productivity – Need, scope, Nature, and Development Process”.
In this sense, we would like to share some preliminary comments and suggestions regarding the overall structure of the process and scope of the document:
a.- Process and representability:
Argentina highly values the consultation scheme developed with various stakeholders since it provided robust inputs for identifying the needs and concerns of producers in different regions. Hence, we understand that collaboration with civil society, the private sector, academia, and scientific institutions, among others, is indispensable. However, since this voluntary document is aimed to offer guidance to Member States that are seeking to augment their capability in terms of small-scale animal farming production, it is critical to collect and reflect national views, suggestions, and priorities as core ideas for designing the 0 draft of this document. Additionally, Argentina understands that Member States must be the exclusive actors in the future negotiation of this document.
b.- Scope and content:
-Argentina appreciates the intention to address the particularities of the small-scale livestock subsector given its importance in terms of food production and food security locally, regionally, and globally. In parallel, due to the lack of a multilaterally agreed definition concerning the elements encompassed by this concept, we would like to comprehend the criteria that will be utilized to determine the limits of the voluntary document. For instance, it would be valuable to understand the rationale behind the foreseen parameter to identify farmers and pastoralists who have “limited resources endowments” to avoid artificial discrimination among animal farmers.
-In terms of approaches to enhance animal protein production, Argentina also believes that themes related to technology transfer (SDG 17.7), capacity building, and access to financial tools, including investments, should be the bedrock for the identification of the objectives of this document.
-Regarding market impacts, small-scale livestock systems contribute to sourcing safe food to local, regional, and global consumers. In essence, Argentina recognizes that this document should not follow a restrictive approach (e.g. by focusing exclusively on local supply chains) and, instead, needs to broaden its conceptual latitude by including the benefits and positive implications of this subsector on regional and international food security.
In this vein, and based on the aforementioned inputs, Argentina would like to submit its suggestions to the consultation process led by the FAO Subcommittee on Livestock.
I remain at your disposal in case more details are needed.
Best regards,
Guillermo Spika
Alternate Permanent Representative
Representation of the Argentine Republic to FAO/IFAD/WFP
Des de Catalunya nos parece muy buena idea hacer un proceso de consulta sobre la mejora sostenible de la productividad de la ganadería a pequeña escala, en este sentido en Catalunya hemos estado trabajando en un procedimiento de la producción agrària sostenible de manera que las explotacions tanto agrícoles como ganaderas puedan calcular su perfil de sostenibilidad y de manera voluntària puedan certificarse. Hemos contemplado todas las explotacions ya sean pequñas com grandes y mediante las tres vertientes (ambiental, econòmica y social). Además estamos elaborando una llei de la producción agraria sostenible .
En cuanto a los objetivos presentados en la consulta, nos parecen adecuados. Sobretodo el objetivo de “Identificar acciones y prácticas que los productores pecuarios en pequeña escala y los actores de la cadena de valor afines podrían aplicar o promover.” Nos parece muy interesante este punto, ya que es complicado establecer dichas acciones debido a la complejidad del sector ganadero, puesto que presenta muchas variabilidades en función de la especie y tipo de explotación (intensiva, semi-extensiva, extensiva).
En cuanto a la naturaleza y alcance del instrumento, creemos que es buena idea empezar a pequeña escala en países de ingresos bajos y medios. Sin embargo, creemos importante poder en un futuro traspasar los métodos y resultados obtenidos de este proceso a una escala mayor y a países desarrollados donde también la ganadería local tiene un peso importante en la economía.
Finalmente, creemos que iniciativas como ésta son muy importantes para la mejora de la productividad ganadera a pequeña escala, de manera social, económica y ambientalmente sostenible y que podrá generar beneficios directos para muchas personas y para el cambio climático y la degradación del medio ambiente.
Reciban un cordial saludo,
Departament d'Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural.
Generalitat de Catalunya (Goverment of Catalonia)
Г-н Louis Agbokou
Cet outil est la bienvenue pour la durabilité des activités d'élevage et l'amélioration de la productivité.
A- Au niveau des objectifs, je suggère qu'on ajoute :
- Prévenir les pandémies :
Je voudrais attirer l'attention sur la santé de l'éleveur en lien avec la santé de ses animaux et de son environnement. Cet outil peut permettre d'aborder de façon profonde et holistique la question de la santé des éleveurs, de la santé des autres acteurs d'élevage, celle des personnes visant dans leurs environnements immédiats, puis de la santé de la population en général.
Il s'agit d'une préoccupation dont le suivi est le plus souvent réalisé par les spécialistes de la santé publique et qui révèle de plus en plus une implication non encore maîtrisée de la santé animale.
Le cas des dommages sanitaires causés par les ectoparasites vétérinaires est un exemple parmi tant d'autres.
B- En ce qui concerne l'élaboration de l'outil il est important d'impliquer aussi les acteurs de la santé publique et les spécialistes du management de l'environnement afin de cerner efficacement tous les contours du sujet.
Certainly! Here are paraphrased versions of the given topics, along with three additional topics related to sustainability, climate change, and antibiotics residuals in meat and milk:
1. **Development and Production of Feed Additives for Sustainable Animal Protein:**
- Focusing on the creation and manufacturing of feed additives such as vitamins, carotenoids, trace elements, enzymes, and organic acids to enhance sustainable animal protein production.
2. **Innovative Customer-Centric Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture:**
- Implementing customer-focused strategies like training, knowledge transfer, and cutting-edge digital support to promote efficient and sustainable production of animal protein.
3. **Reducing Methane Emissions through Enhanced Feeds:**
- Minimizing environmental impact by utilizing improved feeds, such as seaweed-infused cattle feed, to decrease methane production during the digestion process.
4. **Mitigating Antibiotic Residuals in Livestock Products:**
- Addressing concerns surrounding antibiotics residuals in meat and milk through advanced practices and technologies for safer and more sustainable livestock farming.
5. **Climate-Resilient Agriculture Practices:**
- Exploring and promoting agricultural methods that are resilient to climate change, ensuring long-term sustainability and productivity.
6. **Circular Economy Approaches in Livestock Farming:**
- Implementing circular economy principles to minimize waste, optimize resource use, and enhance the overall sustainability of livestock production.
7. **Renewable Energy Integration in Animal Farming:**
- Investigating the integration of renewable energy sources to power animal farming operations, contributing to both environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
В настоящее время это мероприятие закрыто. Пожалуйста, свяжитесь с [email protected] для получения любой дополнительной информации.