Livestock play a crucial role in the livelihoods of a large number of the world's poor. Livestock-related policy decisions, however, are often based on sparse and generalized information. Better information and knowledge on livestock production patterns, and their relationships with structural...

This paper analyzes the political economy of the livestock sector in two Indian states, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. The aim is to identify politically feasible interventions that could have broad positive effects on poor rural livestock producers in these states. To that end, the paper assesses...

This paper examines the role of livestock products as commodities of trade, responding to the demand and higher prices that many external markets offer, and at the same time providing important contributions to the development process in poorer countries. It highlights that this opportunity is...

Generally the vast majority of poor households in developing countries live in the rural areas and heavily rely on agriculture and agricultural assets for their livelihoods. Vietnam gives evidence of the same patterns whereby 90 percent of the poor live in rural areas and more than 80 percent of...

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...

This working paper explores public policies that would advance pro-poor development in the livestock sector, with special attention to organized actors, their interests, and the political feasibility of state initiatives. It focuses on two sub-sectors that involve large numbers of small...

Beginning in 1999/2000, global stock to use ratios for the major cereal grains declined rapidly, and just before the beginnings of the world food crisis in the second half of 2006 these ratios had reached their lowest levels in more than 20 years for all of the three major grains (rice, wheat,...

This paper analyzes the household level impact of an increase in price of major tradable staple foods in a cross section of developing countries, using nationally representative household surveys. We find that, in the short term, poorer households and households with limited asset endowments and...

This paper documents the main findings of a study on food insecurity and vulnerability in the Indian state of Orissa in support of promoting interventions for food security and livelihoods at state level. A similar study was undertaken in Himachal Pradesh, India. The paper analyses the main...