No abstract

Livestock play a significant role in rural livelihoods and the economies of developing countries. They are providers of income and employment for producers and others working in, sometimes complex, value chains. They are a crucial asset and safety net for the poor, especially for women and pastoralist groups, and they provide an important source of nourishment for billions of rural and urban households. These socio-economic roles and others are increasing in importance as the sector grows because of increasing human populations, incomes and urbanisation rates. To provide these benefits, the sector uses a significant amount of land, water, biomass and other resources and emits a considerable quantity of greenhouse gases. There is concern on how to manage the sector's growth, so that these benefits can be attained at a lower environmental cost. Livestock and environment interactions in developing countries can be both positive and negative. On the one hand, manures from ruminant systems can be a valuable source of nutrients for smallholder crops, whereas in more industrial systems, or where there are large concentrations of animals, they can pollute water sources. On the other hand, ruminant systems in developing countries can be considered relatively resource-use inefficient. Because of the high yield gaps in most of these production systems, increasing the efficiency of the livestock sector through sustainable intensification practices presents a real opportunity where research and development can contribute to provide more sustainable solutions. In order to achieve this, it is necessary that production systems become market-orientated, better regulated in cases, and socially acceptable so that the right mix of incentives exists for the systems to intensify. Managing the required intensification and the shifts to new value chains is also essential to avoid a potential increase in zoonotic, food-borne and other diseases. New diversification options and improved safety nets will also be essential when intensification is not the primary avenue for developing the livestock sector. These processes will need to be supported by agile and effective public and private institutions.

Journal articleIFPRI3; ISI; CRP7; CCAFSEPTDPRCGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS

Since its emergence in Africa in 2016, fall armyworm (FAW) has spread rapidly and poses a severe threat to the food security and livelihood of millions of smallholder farmers in the continent. Using survey data from Ghana and Zambia, we examined FAW prevention and control methods implemented by farm households and their impacts on maize output and household consumption of self-produced maize. The main control methods used included pesticide application and handpicking of larvae, while access to information on FAW was a key driver behind the implementation of the control methods. Results from an endogenous switching regression showed that the implementation of a FAW management strategy significantly enhanced maize yield and households' own maize consumption. When disentangling the impacts of the main control methods, we found that the combination of pesticide application and handpicking of larvae produced the highest yield gain of 125%. We concluded that the current interventions put in place by farmers to tackle FAW infestations are providing positive outcomes, but successful management of the pest will require more actions, including raising awareness to enhance the adoption of control interventions and exploring other control options.

Adaptation strategies to reduce smallholder farmers' vulnerability to climate variability and seasonality 38 are needed given the frequency of extreme weather events predicted to increase during the next 39 decades in Sub--Saharan Africa, particularly in West Africa. We explored the linkages between selected 40 agricultural adaptation strategies (crop diversity, soil and water conservation, trees on farm, small 41 ruminants, improved crop varieties, fertilizers), food security, farm household characteristics and farm 42 productivity in three contrasting agro--ecological sites in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana and Senegal). 43Differences in land area per capita and land productivity largely explained the variation in food security 44 across sites. Based on land size and market orientation, four household types were distinguished 45 (subsistence, diversified, extensive, intensified), with contrasting levels of food security and agricultural 46 adaptation strategies. Income increased steadily with land size, and both income and land productivity 47 increased with degree of market orientation. The adoption of agricultural adaptation strategies was 48 widespread, although the intensity of practice varied across household types. Adaptation strategies 49 improve the food security status of some households, but not all. Some strategies had a significant 50 positive impact on land productivity, while others reduced vulnerability resulting in a more stable cash 51 flow throughout the year. Our results show that for different household types, different adaptation 52 strategies may be 'climate--smart'. The typology developed in this study gives a good entry point to 53 analyse which practices should be targeted to which type of smallholder farmers, and quantifies the 54 effect of adaptation options on household food security. Subsequently, it will be crucial to empower 55 farmers to access, test and modify these adaptation options, if they were to achieve higher levels of 56 food security. 57 58 59