Family Poultry Research and Development in Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries: Approaches and Prospects

Abstract

Family poultry (FP), which are still important in low-income food-deficit countries, represent an appropriate system for supplying the rapidly growing human population with high quality protein and providing additional income to resource-poor small farmers, especially women. Although requiring low levels of inputs, FP contribute significantly to food security, poverty alleviation and ecologically sound management of natural resources. FP are also valued in the religious and sociocultural lives of local communities. However, constraints facing FP production systems are related to high mortality (mainly due to Newcastle disease), housing, feeding, breeding, marketing, training, credit and information. Appropriate research and development programmes are those that adopt participatory, holistic and multi- and transdisciplinary approaches. Improvements, which should take sociocultural and economic circumstances into account, must be introduced gradually.