Introduction

The following blog post draws heavily upon recent work undertaken by the  Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),World Vision (WV), Action Contre LaFaim (ACF) in support of the development of a series of guidance notes on improving food systems' contribution to household nutrition. The guidance note on livestock is part of a series that the FAO and WV jointly developed to support policymakers and program implementers in identifying key transformative actions across the food systems to better enable healthy diets and improved nutrition and the need to meet the growing demand for protein of which ASF can provide a ready source.

This blog specifically focusses on the role of animal source food (ASF) in supporting the nutritional security of households. FAO, WV and ACF recently carried out an extensive review of literature, including in-country case studies, that attempts to better understand the challenges and opportunities that livestock and ASF can play in improving household nutritional security. The review led in October 2021 to the joint publication of a guidance note: “Maximizing Nutrition in Livestock — A Guidance Note on Impact Pathways for Mainstreaming Nutrition Based on  Case Studies in Eswatini and Zimbabwe.”

Mainstreaming household nutrition outcomes through animal source food

The demand  for ASF is growing and at a rapid rate. The ability of food systems  to meet this growing demand varies and presents a major challenge and opportunity to how food systems can evolve and adapt to meet the nutritional requirements of households and specifically the protein needs in developing and emerging economies. Livestock accounts for some 40% of worldwide income from the agriculture sector (Nabarro and Wannous, 2014). Some 821 million people  worldwide listed as malnourished, with 151 million under the age of five classified as stunted (World Economic Forum 2019 white paper, “Meat the Future" series). The situation is largely due to lack of access to essential nutrients, micronutrients and needed protein at critical stages of growth.

Recognizing this major challenge, the FAO, WV and  ACF developed a series of guidance notes, one on livestock drawing upon case studies in Eswatini and Zimbabwe as part of a series on how best to mainstream nutrition within the food sector. Livestock play a critical role in developing and emerging economies particularly in Africa and this is supported by the case studies in Eswatini and Zimbabwe. Livestock systems play an important role in providing smallholders with resilient livelihoods and preventing food insecurity and poverty, as livestock can contribute up to 33 percent of household income (Nabarro and Wannous, 2014). The global livestock sector, with some 17 billion animals, contributes to the feeding of around eight billion people worldwide (Herrero et al. 2013). Both the livestock population and the human population, along with the effects of climate change, exert pressure on the world’s natural resources and food systems. In the context of the low- and middle-income countries, livestock play an important role, with both positive and negative impacts. The demand for ASF in Africa is expected to increase by 80% between 2010 and 2030, primarily driven by population growth, which is expected to consume some  125% more beef, 65% more poultry, 46% more milk ,and 77% more eggs in 2030 than in 2010 (World Economic Forum, 2018).    

To optimize nutritional outcomes through ASF, a number of critical challenges need to be overcome. These include those related to the food system supply chain, the enabling environment for food production and the level of consumer awareness and behavior change required for improved utilization of ASF. These critical elements of the food system are illustrated in Figure 1, which shows how they are linked and connected to the core drivers impacting the food system, and its relevant subsectors and pathways.

Figure 1. Key Drivers in the Food System Impacting Diets

Key actors, challenges and opportunities

In the case of Eswatini and Zimbabwe, where the livestock sector still plays a major role in rural areas and contributes to household livelihoods, key areas for prioritization  were identified as:

i) Improving the natural resource base from which much of the livestock sector is dependent, including improved management of communal areas, and improved productivity of these areas;

ii) Improving livestock productivity through improved livestock nutrition, breeding and animal health;

iii) An improved marketing infrastructure and access to processing capacity; and

iv) improved access to services for producers, including access to finance, inputs and cold chain and storage capacity.

So that ASF can be better mainstreamed for nutritional outcomes in Eswatini and Zimbabwe, the following theory of change was identified:

The use and consumption of ASF will play a greater role both in households’ social and economic development and in their nutritional diversity and security:

i) If the availability, accessibility, quantity and quality of ASF is increased for both marginal rural households and the wider public by improving livestock production systems and increasing accessibility to and use of inputs and services;

ii) If market linkages are strengthened, farmers are made more aware of and gain better access to technology, and

iii) If information is provided on all aspects of livestock management, husbandry and animal health;

iv) If consumers are made more aware of the importance of ASF to dietary diversity, and

v) If there is greater acknowledgement of and engagement with women in order to address the social and gender issues surrounding livestock production and the consumption of ASF.

In this regard, country-level consultations and literature review identified the following list of food system elements  that could benefit from interventions .These are:

i) The food supply chain, comprising i) production, ii) storage and distribution, iii) processing and packaging, and iv) retail and markets;

ii) The food environment, comprising food availability and accessibility; accessibility, affordability and market linkages, and iii) food quality and safety; and finally,

iii) consumer behavior and awareness of the dietary benefits of ASF.(see Figure 1). This is  also illustrated in Figure 2 in the case of, for example, large ruminant subsector (in this case, cattle for beef)  illustrating some of the impact pathways that can lead to improved ASF in diets.

Conclusions

While the livestock guidance note examined four livestock subsectors in Eswatini and Zimbabwe, several common  threads emerged. Notably, the supply chain, i.e., the production, storage, distribution, processing and packaging, retail, and marketing across all livestock subsectors, is of paramount importance. Additionally, the market accessibility of ASF by households is critical to improved uptake and utilization. Interventions focussed on production and improved market linkages and accessibility are highly likely to increase ASF consumption across all the subsectors pathways. Increased consumer awareness and demand for ASF is also necessary prerequisite for improved consumption, along with price affordability and further alignment and adoption of and strengthening of food safety  and phytosanitary measures.   

Figure 2 Cattle Subsector Impact Pathways