Background

In the last few years livestock has gained attention in debates related to food security, poverty reduction and development. According to FAO projections (2006), the world’s population is expected to consume almost twice as much livestock products by 2050, which means that the demand for livestock products will grow significantly.

However, simply doubling the supply would place an unbearable burden on natural resources. Moreover, livestock production is often considered to be a major emitter of greenhouse gas, thus contributing to climate change.

Livestock farmers, and particularly smallholders in Southern countries, are among the most affected by climate change. They have to cope with environmental changes by adapting their usual production systems to many unpredictable events. Some trends are likely to affect them even more in the future:

• The increased frequency of weather extremes - high temperatures, flood, drought - may significantly influence livestock production, reducing water, pasture and crop supply for herds
• Certain animal diseases are likely to extend their geographical reach as a result of climate change, especially when they or their vectors – insects, mites and ticks – thrive in warm annual temperatures and humidity
• Changes in seasonal rainfall patterns and more erratic rainfall reduce the predictability for livestock farmers’ planning

If given the appropriate support, smallholders could play an important part in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Indeed, small-scale livestock keepers hold a valuable legacy of ecosystem knowledge combined with great flexibility and resilience. Throughout history, they have been able to employ very efficient practices to face different sorts of environmental and extreme weather conditions.

Here are some areas where policies could help them:

• If mobility is supported and guaranteed, pastoral peoples can assure that biomass and water resources in arid zones are managed sustainably, thereby creating the best conditions for maintaining the carbon sink potential of a huge surface of grasslands
• Animal health services in rural areas could be introduced or strengthened to reduce the impact of emerging diseases
• Livestock diversity should be encouraged through selection and conservation of local breeds, which adapt well to droughts and can resist many local diseases
• Many adaptation measures could be further strengthened through the diversification of livestock and agricultural activities

Farmers’ organizations have an important role to play. They will increasingly be challenged to help livestock keepers respond to the present situation and to be prepared for future scenarios. The focus will need to shift from productivity alone to guaranteeing an increase in production, sustainability and resilience.

VSF Europa calls upon non-governmental, civil society and farmers’ organizations to step up and carry out an ambitious goal: to establish a focal point for gathering useful information, a shared ground for debate, and a common framework to take action in favour of small-scale livestock keepers.

Objective

The objective of the side event is to debate the role of famers’ organizations in supporting their members, and particularly small-scale livestock keepers, to cope with climate change, ensure sustainable production and make a substantial contribution to the food security of future generations.
The expected results are:

• A shared and updated view of the impact of climate change on small-scale livestock farming.
• Insights for new programmes and tools for famers’ organizations to sensitize their members on adaptation and mitigation strategies, especially for small- scale livestock farming.
• An updated and shared set of examples of good practices that farmers’ organizations implement in different countries, ensuring sustainability and quality in livestock production.
• A set of key questions and recommendations for farmers’ organizations in their dialogue with decision makers.

Agenda

Chair: Alessandro Broglia, President of Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Europa
14:00	Introduction and presentation of the panel
14:10	Presentation Marta Guadalupe Rivera Ferre, Centro de Investigacion en Economia y Desarrollo Agroalimentario, CREDA – VSF Europa – The impacts of climate change on small-scale livestock farming: adaptation strategies and future scenarios
14:30	Panel comments Oumou Khairy Diallo,CNCR Senegal – rural womens’ perspectives Taghi Farvar, CENESTA Iran – Indigenous and mobile pastoral peoples’ perspectives Andrea Ferrante AIAB (member of  the Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organisations, INOFO) –  organic producers’ perspectives
15:00	Open floor debate How farmers’ organizations and their platforms can take the challenge posed to livestock and climate change: adapting strategies for better organization, advocacy, production systems, marketing, relations with consumers, decision makers, GHG trading systems.
15:45	Summing-up of the main results of the event