Since late 2010 and continuing into 2011, price volatility, in relation to basic agricultural commodities, has occupied center stage on the agendas of decision makers. An additional concern has been uncertainty about a new global economic crisis in the wake of the macroeconomic difficulties...

This paper reviews the diverse and changing roles of livestock as they relate to the process of economic development and poverty reduction, departing from the premise that livestock production plays an important role in contributing to the livelihoods of most of the world's poor and in meeting...

This Working Paper for the South Asia regional hub of the Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Initiative presents the case for using poultry, in very small units of 5-10 adult birds, as a means of alleviating the poverty of rural women in the region. Policies and procedures that affect the success of such...

Agriculture and livestock are key components of the livelihoods of the poor. Livestock make a substantial contribution to household livelihood's and currently sustain the livelihoods of an estimated 700 million rural poor in developing countries. In Nepal, poverty levels are extremely high and...

Increasing population, income growth and urbanization in developing countries are boosting the demand for food of animal origin. This trend, which has been dubbed the 'Livestock Revolution', provides significant opportunities for poverty reduction, an estimated 42 percent of the poor worldwide...

The current document examines how livestock features in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) prepared by Heavily Indebted Poor Countries as they seek concessional lending from the World Bank and IMF. An assessment has been made of the overall importance of livestock to the country's...

This paper argues for a twin-track approach to hunger and poverty reduction that combines measures to promote rural development through growth in agriculture and rural off-farm activities with measures to provide direct and immediate access to food for the most needy. The paper begins with an...

This paper shows the importance of explicitly considering marketing margins in analyses of the impact of price changes on the welfare of different segments of the population. Failure to acknowledge the implicit marketing assumptions embedded in an analysis that assumes equal percentage changes...

This Working Paper presents a framework for assessing the impact of livestock diseases on the household economy and at local level. The framework is designed to help decision and policy makers in their selection of pro-poor livestock interventions. It should also help to protect them from making...