In its research work ILCA has always used and continues to use a farming systems approach. At the same time both in its mandate and as one of its operational goals ILCA seeks to improve the capacity of Africa's national agricultural research systems. This manual presents the fruits of both ILCA's own long experience of livestock systems research and of the expertise and efforts of others in this field.
The intended audience are primarily African scientists who are working for national research organisations and who are in need of reference materials and of practical examples of livestock systems research. The manual may also be of use to a wider audience, including those who need to study livestock systems in Africa in the context of development activities rather than research.
The manual has been produced as an ILCA Working Paper (in two volumes) for a number of reasons. One of these is that there will never be a 'final word' in livestock systems research, because new techniques will be continually invented and old ones adapted. At its first appearance there are parts of this manual which are already in need of updating.
Another reason is that the manual as a whole has not been formally reviewed as have other ILCA official publications and manuals, in an external peer review process. Of course, individual modules have been extensively reviewed both internally within ILCA and externally. But if anyone indeed existed who had the breadth of experience and knowledge to be able to review the manual as a whole, that person would be in such demand that he or she would not have the time to do the review.
ILCA has therefore decided to circulate this manual as a Working Paper, initially in a limited edition to a number of people from different backgrounds but who are known to be most active and most interested in livestock systems research. You are one of these. We should be most grateful for your comments, your proposals for amendment, and your suggestions about how it might be made more sound and more useful. We shall then, unless you tell us otherwise, present it to a wider audience.
All comments on the manual should be sent to ILCA marked 'For the attention of the Head of Livestock Economics Division'.
