Thumbnail Image

Asian livestock. Challenges, opportunities and the response.

Proceedings of an international policy forum held in Bangkok, Thailand, 16-17 August 2012

Year of publication 2012

Pages 180

Author Ahuja, V. (ed.);Agriculture Group

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title RAP Publication

Series number 1020-6221|1014-2789|18194591|0428-9560

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Growing populations, rising disposable incomes and progressive urbanization in Asia and the Pacific region have spurred rapid growth in the consumption of animal source foods. The region has generated more than half the gains in global livestock production since the early 1990s and this growth is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. However, the manner of supply growth has also imposed considerable social, health and ecological costs. Signs of resource stress are now becoming visible and are raising new challenges for the food and nutrition security of the poor. There are also growing concerns of real and potential marginalization of small producers in the process, resulting in missed opportunities for supporting rural livelihoods. Climate change, water scarcity, land degradation and increased resource competition for food, feed and fuel production pose major additional challenges for the sector in the long run. The environmental and natural resource implications of livestoc k production have come under intense public scrutiny in recent years and the debate on climate change has been particularly passionate. Similarly, in view of the widespread prevalence of a number of production-limiting and trade-preventing diseases in the region and growing health concerns resulting from zoonotic and food-borne diseases, support for the development of policies and response systems for enhancing food safety and minimizing disease burdens is another area that is receiving growing attention. To discuss these issues, promote collaboration and knowledge exchange among relevant national and international agencies and discover ways of addressing future challenges, FAO and partner organizations convened the Regional Livestock Policy Forum in Bangkok, Thailand from 16 to17 August 2012. This publication provides the proceedings of the forum including technical papers presented. The presentations on good practices were video recorded and the video links are indicated in Annexure 1.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Booklet
    Strengthening sector policies for better food security and nutrition results 2017
    Also available in:

    The livestock sector is a complex one that touches not only on animal production and agriculture but on environment, health, and land-use rights. Addressing all of these topics within a policy is a delicate task especially where there is a wide range of competing objectives: economic growth, employment, equality, food and nutrition security, environmental conservation and climate change adaptation.

    In the context of responding to increased demand for edible animal products through main ly industrialized growth, policies should better protect smallholders’ needs and livelihoods. Policies can also help address the scrutiny this sector has faced for its effects on the environment, human health impacts from excessive consumption, heightened risk of zoonotic and food-borne diseases, animal welfare and food fraud scandals.

    This livestock guidance note walks experts and non-experts alike through a series of important questions to ask and steps to take when incorporating food security and nutrition concerns into livestock policies.

    Visit the Webpage

    See the complete Policy Guidance Series:
  • Thumbnail Image
    Project
    Strengthening the Livestock Sector in East and Southeast Asian Countries - TCP/RAS/3507 2019
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The global trend of intensification of livestock production systemsto respond to the growing demand for livestock products is at its strongestin Asia. This process is characterized by multiple challenges, includingincreasing pressure on feed resources, the need to improve productivitywhile ensuring maintenance of biodiversity, consideration of naturalresource management, and improving preparedness for increased risksof zoonotic and other diseases. This has raised significant public policychallenges involving the marginalization of smallholder rural producers,minimization of environmental externalities, exploitation of livestock inreducing vulnerability, and enhanced preparedness for the increased risksof zoonotic and other diseases. Dealing with these challenges requiresconcerted and coordinated policy response, but the capacity to analyselivestock related trade-offs between social, environmental and economicobjectives and to design smart policies to balance conflicting interestsof different socio-economic groups is extremely limited in the region.This project aimed to enhance livestock sector policy formulation andimplementation capabilities in the region, and to better enable the sectorto make an effective contribution towards enhancing livelihoods,improving nutrition and promoting equitable economic growth.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    The state of food and agriculture 2009
    Livestock in the balance
    2009
    Also available in:
     Show more
    The livestock sector is transforming rapidly in response to shifts in the global economy and changing societal expectations. Society expects the livestock sector to provide safe and plentiful food and fibre for growing urban populations, livelihoods for more than a billion poor producers and traders as well as global public goods related to food security, environmental sustainability and animal-borne diseases. However, the rapid pace of change has led to unbalanced growth of the sector. This has manifested itself in a widening dichotomy within the sector in terms of the scale, intensity and efficiency of production and in unforeseen social, nutritional, animal health and environmental implications. These changes and the speed with which they are occurring have created systemic risks for livelihoods, human and animal health and the environment. To meet the challenges and constraints of the twenty-first century, the livestock sector requires appropriate in stitutions, research, development interventions and governance that reflect the diversity within the sector and the multiple demands placed upon it.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.