 Over the next two decades, a significantly changed livestock subsector will likely become the most important agricultural subsector in terms of value added and land use. The accelerated growth of livestock production and processing will require far-reaching changes in the roles of the public and private sectors in livestock development.
With a strong and growing demand, rapid institutional and macroeconomic policy changes, and a fundamental shift in the functions of livestock, there is a significant danger that the poor are being crowded out, the environment eroded, and global food security and safety compromised.
In 2001, the World Bank released a strategy for the Livestock sector. Livestock Developnment: Implications for Rural Poverty, the Environment,and Global Food Security was prepared by a group of livestock specialists from the World Bank with input from its partners.
In the strategy, the authors argue that livestock can play an important role in poverty reduction, that the effects of livestock on the environment can be adequately managed, and that livestock can make an important contribution to global food security.
This will only happen, however, if an appropriate policy framework is put in place. Public policy must facilitate producer access to knowledge and production inputs; promote environmentally sustainable production systems and ensure public health and food safety standards; and encourage development of efficient markets and processing facilities.
The promotion of these enabling environments-particularly in areas where there are considerable market failures, such as equity, environment, and food safety-is seen as a core function of the public sector, including international financial institutions such as the World Bank.
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