The role of employment in poverty-reduction programmes in developing countries has received considerable attention the world over. Many new employment opportunities in many developing countries are created in the informal sector where the rate of growth may be higher than that of the formal sector. Dairy markets offer good opportunities for non-farm rural and urban employment. This may particularly be true in informal milk markets, which rely less on modern milk processing equipment and more on traditional labour-intensive technologies. The case studies from Kenya, Bangladesh and Ghana provide an opportunity to gain strategic insights into how small-scale dairy marketing and processing can contribute significantly to rural and urban employment, most of which occurs in the informal sector. The capacity for small-scale dairy processing and marketing to generate jobs in rural communities, as well as in peri-urban and urban areas, is demonstrated. Although the evidence presented here is based on simple case studies and should be taken as only indicative, it nevertheless demonstrates the strong potential for even small quantities of milk to generate employment in rural and peri-urban areas.

This publication provides information on the impact of animal feeds on food quality, food safety, and the environment, and thus improves the basis for managing such risks. The book brings together in printed form six reviews from the FAO electronic journal AGRIPPA (available online).

This document presents a unique and exhaustive review of the state-of-knowledge on the use of probiotics in diverse livestock production systems, and their impact on animal productivity. It focuses specifically on definitions, production, mechanisms of action, applications, effects, safety and potential public health risks of probiotics. In addition the labelling of probiotic products and global regulatory status of probiotics in animal feed is also covered. This publication will inform those that are interested in identifying and designing interventions for increasing animal productivity. It would also give an impetus to the development of new probiotics having consistent long-term effects that could possibly be used in feed in place of antibiotic growth promoters.

Infections between animals and humans are truly complex and health care providers should be aware of the potential role of animals in infectious diseases of HIV infected patients. The aim of this guideline is to outline the most important zoonoses that play a significant role in the epidemiology of AIDS and to provide a practical and manageable tool for health workers involved in the care of HIV infected humans.

Pastoral systems have evolved to function with the natural environment and therefore with variability. By identifying variability as an entry point, this paper aims at (i) engaging FAO in the mainstreaming of pastoralism by establishing the understanding of pastoralism, and its systematic inclusion in the normal operations of FAO, and at (ii) presenting an evidence based narrative on pastoralism to a specialists’ audience. Two main points are made in this document: First, pastoral systems are emblematic of farming with nature. Second, pastoral systems make use of variability in inputs (the environment) by matching it with variability in their own operational processes (flexibility in movements, animal breeds, labour force, etc.) in such a way as to reduce the variability in outputs (animal production and health, household’s food security, etc). Since 2015, the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub (PKH) has helped creating an institutional space for connecting and coordinating work on pastoralism within FAO. An Inter-Departmental Working Group on Pastoralism has been formed. The conceptual framework of this paper and early versions have benefited from comments and guidance of FAO staff as well as of specialists of pastoralism worldwide.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is an insidious disease that lingers in herds, causing significant morbidity and mortality. The policies to address the control and management of CBPP are in disarray at both the national and international levels. There has not been significant improvement in the efficacies of available vaccines or diagnostic assays for several decades. Classic strategies of mass vaccination and strict movement control that once were perceived as successful in rolling back the disease have largely fallen due to high costs, concerns of declining impact and growing public resistance. Officially, treatment with antibiotics is discouraged or prohibited, yet their use is widespread. CBPP is by all means an enigmatic disease, whose control probably requires a new paradigm or out-of-the-box thinking and executing approach. The purpose of this document is to provide an evidence-based policy for the implementation of sound control of CBPP by all stakeholders at all levels – global, regional and national. It describes a road map to CBPP control that is cognizant of the situation on the ground. While not being prescriptive, the document includes examples of combinations of interventions and control measures that should offer the opportunity to improve impact and hence offer better livelihoods to livestock producers.