National Feed Security System: what it entails and making it operational in East Africa

Abstract

Countries in East Africa have very high annual population growth rates – from 1.81 in Kenya to 3.92 percent in Sudan – and over the coming years, if production gaps are not addressed, these countries will become increasingly reliant on external markets for foods of animal origin (Alexandratos and Bruinsma, 2012). The reliance on external markets would be a missed development opportunity given the widespread benefits that could be generated by inclusive growth of the livestock subsector, particularly for dryland communities in East Africa (FAO, 2012a). Across the region, the increasing demand for livestock products has not yet been matched by a growth in production, implying that there are potential widespread benefits for both producers and consumers if the former can respond to this rising demand. Livestock are critical to incomes, livelihoods, nutrition, food security and resilience in much of East Africa.