Transforming Africa’s livestock sector is key to food security

Africa will be unable to meet demand for meat and milk by 2050 and benefit from growth in the livestock sector unless countries adopt new policies and innovations, a new report has found. Meat consumption per capita across Africa is expected to increase from 19kg a year to 26kg a year by 2050 while demand for milk is likely to increase from 44kg per person per year to 64kg. But while Africa’s livestock sector accounts for as much as 80 percent of agricultural GDP in some countries, on current projections, the continent is likely to need to import 20 percent of the beef, pork, poultry and milk needed by an estimated population of 2.2 billion in 2050. Agricultural experts at the Malabo Montpellier Panel analysed lessons from four African countries that have sustainably grown their domestic livestock sectors to provide recommendations for unlocking the economic potential of animal agriculture and becoming self-sufficient. “With rising incomes and urbanisation quickly shifting dietary ...