Recommendations for preservation and improvement of sub-Saharan rangelands, and for training people in range management and animal production.

Summarises the performance of three species of stylosanthes, viz, S. guianensis cvs Cook and Schofield, S. hamata cv. Verano and S. humilis under different production systems in Nigeria, such as in pure legume pastures, mixed pastures, with crops, in rangeland and under seed production.

This book is the product of a Satellite Symposium on the Role of Livestock in Developing Communities: Enhancing Multifunctionality, held as part of the 10th World Conference on Animal Production (WCAP) in Cape Town, 22 – 28 November 2008. The Symposium, jointly organised by the University of the Free State (UFS) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) aimed to stimulate critical thinking on the role of livestock in livelihood strategies for the poor in the developing world as a contribution to address the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Discusses the results of the measurement of environmental changes in grazed ecosystems with reference to correlated changes in livestock management in Kenya; includes techniques used to measure the changes, and proposed methods; presents data on a case study at a group ranch located in western Kenya which covers 50,000 ha.; ends with comparison of surveys, i.e., that of 1978 and 1981.

Potential of tropical Africa for agro-industrial by-products suitable for animal feeding and fattening w. data on feed value of byproducts from cereals, tubers, oilseeds, sugar canes and others.

The integration of crops and livestock has often been cited as a model for agricultural development in semi-arid West Africa. Recent formulations treat the adoption of more intensive forms of manuring as a critical step in agricultural development. These analyses have been criticised for ignoring or underestimating the possible negative consequences of such management on rangeland and livestock productivity. This paper critically examines this debate. It is argued that the agronomic benefits of manuring depend largely on nutrient transfers from non-cropped grazing lands.

The attitudes of farmers in relation to the importance of different people as information and opinion sources (InfS) for different phases of the decision-making process were studied in 91 Costa Rican dairy farmers. The InfS studied were: Family members, Other farmers, Technical advisors, Farm staff and Commercial agents, while the phases were: Problem detection, Seeking for problem solutions, Seeking for new practices and Seeking for opinion. A Multidimensional Preference Analysis (MDPREF) was used to obtain a two-dimensional map of preference of the farmers.

It is widely acknowledged that goats in developing countries fulfill multiple functions and can contribute to improved livelihoods of smallholders. The multi-functionality of goats in rural Mozambique however is fairly unknown. The objective of the paper is therefore to identify and create a deeper understanding of the multiple functions goats currently play in the smallholders sector in Mozambique. The paper takes a sociological approach by advancing the thinking that the functions of goats are socially and culturally constructed, and not ‘given’.