1 Market developments that could favour urban livestock production by the poor. The urbanization process will lead to
increasing demand for livestock products. The proximity to these markets is an advantage for the poor. The case studies
indicate that urban commercial livestock enterprises become less competitive due to high input prices (imported feeds
and animal drugs) as a result of liberalization and structural adjustment programmes.
2 Higher return per unit of land from livestock compared to crops. Increasing demand for land in cities for housing
favours urban livestock keeping as it requires less land and promises higher returns per unit land utilized.
3 Flexibility in terms of land use. Compared to urban crop production, livestock can be shifted easily to other urban areas
as they become available.
4 Use of existing resources. Urban livestock keeping offers an opportunity to make use of household waste, agroindustrial
by-products such as molasses and brewery residues, weed and grass from public lands and crop residues from
markets and urban farmers.
5 Provision of a social safety net for the poor. The different case studies show that especially vulnerable groups, such as
female headed households, children, retired people, widows and people with limited formal education are involved in
urban livestock keeping as a form of social security strategy.
6 Multi-purpose activity. Urban livestock keeping fits different livelihood strategies and contributes to food security,
income and employment generation, saving and insurance. It provides easily convertible assets for covering important
expenditures (school fees, health treatments).