Animal husbandry plays a significant role in Africa’s food systems, supporting the livelihoods of an estimated 268 million people in 36 African countries and making an important contribution to food security and nutrition. However, to meet the increasing demand for animal-sourced products, more needs to be done to elevate the role of the livestock sector through context-specific technology development and adoption as well as targeted policy innovations for a sustainable increase in production and productivity.
This article by Dr Mahamadou Tankari and Dr Katrin Glatzel draws on the experiences of Senegal and Tunisia in elevating livestock to a sectoral policy priority, as well as concrete examples of technology development across the continent. These interventions could contribute significantly to Africa’s food systems transformation, create important employment opportunities in rural areas, and strengthen overall economic growth and development.