Editorial: Ensuring animal health and other services for efficient and inclusive livestock value chains in LMICs

Abstract

The livestock sector offers opportunity for many livestock producers in LMICs to improve their livelihoods (1). Under various scenarios (2), the demand for livestock-derived foods will continue to increase in these countries, offering market incentives to increase livestock production and productivity. However, livestock productivity remains very low. For example, annual milk yield of a cow in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia is 6 and 12%, respectively, of a cow in an OECD country. Within countries and production systems, yield gaps are high for all species (3). This suggests that productivity increase is feasible with changes in management, breeds, feeds and health practices, also considering ecological and social economic factors. One of the key constraints faced by livestock keepers is access to affordable and quality inputs and services—all needed to improve productivity. These include animal health inputs and services, feed and breeding, and also extension or advisory services. Different organizational arrangements for the delivery of such inputs and services have emerged, especially in the dairy and poultry sectors. Some of these arrangements are led by value chain actors themselves, while others have been promoted and supported by development agencies and donors. The effectiveness of these organizational arrangements remains insufficiently documented, limiting the opportunity to learn and apply lessons across value chains and countries. The objective of the research topic is to facilitate research and stimulate discussion regarding access to affordable and quality inputs and services that ultimately improve livestock production and productivity in a sustainable and equitable way.