Translations:Pelsa Facilitator Manual/50/en
Background
Livestock play multiple roles in people's lives. These include:
- Food and nutrition: animals are a very important source of food [protein]
- Social functions: animals may raise the social status of their owners. They may contribute to gender balance by affording women the opportunity to own livestock. In some communities, animal have a role in cultural or religious practices.
- Contribution to crop production: animals provide draught power and their manure contributes to soil fertility
- Income generation and wealth accumulation: animals may enable saving of wealth, providing security and playing a role as a ‘bank account’ and ‘insurance policy’
- Economic role: animal production may be an important part of the local and regional economy
- Livestock and the environment: livestock production is a part of sustainable land use, although animal production can have both positive and negative impact on the environment
- Risk buffer: in some communities, animal production provides alternative streams of income that buffers against the risks of crop failures.