Non-productive use of cattle and livestock

Underutilization of livestock

Nature

In most parts of eastern and southern Africa, cattle-keeping has little relation to the traditional subsistence economy, except as a means of simultaneously producing wealth and 'banking' it. The animals are rarely slaughtered for commercial sale or domestic consumption; they are used chiefly for ceremonial feasts and religious celebrations associated with death rites or ancestor worship; for validating marriages and cementing kinship bonds; for paying fines; settling conflicts; or financing undertakings requiring hired labour. Ownership of cattle determines a man's position in the community; his social standing, influence and potential economic power are measured by the size of his herd.

Background

The issue of non-productive use of cattle and livestock emerged as a global concern in the mid-20th century, when agricultural experts and development agencies observed significant resource allocation to animals yielding minimal economic or nutritional returns. International studies, particularly in regions facing food insecurity, highlighted inefficiencies in traditional husbandry practices. Over time, the problem gained prominence in policy discussions on sustainable agriculture, prompting targeted research and interventions to optimize livestock productivity and resource utilization worldwide.

Incidence

Non-productive use of cattle and livestock is a significant issue in many regions, particularly where animals are kept for status, traditional practices, or as a form of wealth storage rather than for efficient food or resource production. This practice contributes to resource depletion, land degradation, and increased greenhouse gas emissions, while failing to provide proportional nutritional or economic benefits. The scale of the problem is notable in parts of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, where millions of animals are maintained with minimal productive output.
In 2022, a report from Kenya’s arid counties highlighted that over 60% of cattle herds were maintained primarily for social prestige and dowry purposes rather than for milk or meat production. This contributed to overgrazing and exacerbated the impacts of drought, leading to significant livestock losses and food insecurity in the region (https://www.fao.org/kenya/news/detail-events/en/c/1620732/).

Claim

The non-productive use of cattle and livestock is a critical problem that cannot be ignored. Wasting valuable resources on animals that do not contribute to food, labor, or economic output is both environmentally irresponsible and economically unsustainable. In a world facing food insecurity and climate change, every animal should serve a clear, productive purpose. Allowing non-productive livestock to persist is a reckless misuse of land, water, and feed that demands urgent action.

Counter-claim

Cattle keeping in eastern and southern Africa by the peasant farmers is an intrinsic part of the traditional subsistence economy. While cattle are a source of wealth and status and are not kept primarily for the provision or sale of beef, they have many other roles in society, particularly in societies which practise cropping. These roles are difficult to quantify in terms of value, but have a value, in monetary terms, that is probably greater than the value of the animal as a source of saleable beef.

Though not necessarily in order of priority, the role of livestock, particularly cattle, in traditional societies, is: (a) the provision of drought animals for land preparation; (b) the provision of milk for home consumption; (c) the provision of manure for fertilization of cropping lands; (d) as a source of wealth and status; (e) for religious, social and ceremonial purposes; and (f) as a source of cash from the sale of beef.

It is recognized that peasant farmers who own cattle enjoy a higher level of productivity and standard of living than those who do not, and with limited land resources there is therefore keen competition between peasant families for cattle ownership and grazing rights.

In more arid region, where cropping is not practised, priorities for cattle ownership change and off-take from herds for sale is higher, but cattle remain a valuable source of milk and in some cases blood for family nutrition.