Impact of shocks on the livestock producers’ wellbeing: The economic impact of trypanosomosis on household welfare
Keeping of livestock is a major sustainable livelihood strategy for the vulnerable in society especially among developing countries. A major constraint to improving productivity of livestock is shocks in the form of animal diseases and, linked to this, the provision of animal health services. Livestock diseases impose heavy costs on producers and reduce incentives to invest in higher yielding crossbred or exotic animals that tend to be more vulnerable especially in the sub-Saharan and Eastern Africa where livestock (Cattle plays a significant role-food, income, agricultural, bride price etc.). The loss livestock keeping households suffer in the event of an outbreak of livestock disease such as trypanosomosis (which is important in among farmers in Africa) range from loss of livelihood to falling below perpetual poverty. With this background knowledge of the economic importance of livestock and livestock disease, the EU-Commission intends to improve the management and control of livestock disease (trypanosomosis) through interventions directed at increasing knowledge, attitudes and practices of small scale farmer livestock farmers.
Objectives
An ex-ante impact analysis will therefore be carried on the incidence of trypanosomosis on livelihoods in Africa (Ethiopia, Togo and Mozambique). Specific interest of the project will be to:
1. Impact of knowledge and attitudes on livestock disease management
2. Impact of Livestock on household income
3. Risk behaviour and livestock disease
4. Impact of interventions to improve disease management on the long run
Methodology
1. Household level data collection to establish a counterfactual panel data set
2. Quantitative analysis using panel and impact assessment models
