There are approximately 500 million small farms in developing countries, supporting almost 2 billion people. And the perception that these small-scale producers are largely subsistence farmers is false. Approximately 70% of all food produced in the world comes from small-scale agriculture. Small-scale producers are therefore a driving force in feeding the world.

But small-scale livestock producers in the developing world are typically poor. In Tanzania, 43% of those in rural areas live on less than $1.25 a day. The wealth that small-scale producers do have is often in livestock. The average livestock holding for a Tanzanian small-scale producer is 11 chickens, five goats and four cattle. This is equivalent to over $1,500 (a chicken is typically worth $3, a goat $46 and a non-dairy cow $310).

Livestock, therefore, represents a highly valued and productive asset that is used by small-scale livestock producers to fund many of life’s basic needs such as:

• Housing
• Clothing
• Education
• Health

In this way, livestock represents a great opportunity for improved livelihoods for hundreds of millions of small-scale producers. It is for this reason that GALVmed works towards developing the vaccines and the markets that enable small-scale producers to better feed the world while bettering themselves.