West Africa is receiving renewed attention from the international community. At the heart of climatic, migratory and security issues with international consequences, the region is the source of many resilience, humanitarian aid and security programmes as well as development projects. Focusing on...

Households in the west African semi-arid tropics face substantial risk -- an inevitable consequence of engaging in rainfed agriculture in a drought-prone environment. It has long been hypothesized that these households keep livestock as a buffer stock to insulate their consumption from income...