What actions can we take today to ensure a sustainable development of African livestock in the long term? This question should be in the mind of every responsible leader dealing with the livestock sector.

Africa will grow and transform tremendously in the next three decades.
Its population will increase from 1.2 billion today to over 2.5 billion in 2050, and the continent will experience sustained development. A growing, progressively more affluent and urbanized African population will increasingly demand high-value foods, including meat, milk and other livestock products. As a response, farmers will exponentially increase livestock production and productivity.

The future growth and transformation of the African livestock sector will be unprecedented. It will contribute to meet the consumers' demand for animal products, and improve food security and nutrition. However, it might also generate negative effects on society: outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, such as avian influenzas and animal food borne-diseases, can be disruptive; inappropriate production practices can pollute and degrade soil, water and air; small farmers might be forced to exit the livestock sector, with negative impacts on their livelihoods.

Africa Sustainable Livestock 2050 (ASL2050) is a policy initiative that explores the possible futures of the African livestock sector, with the objective to identify policy actions to take today in order to ensure its sustainable development, from a public health, environmental and social perspective.