Improved livestock production system and welfare in rural Ethiopia

Abstract

While a lot has been written on the socio‐economic and welfare impacts of agricultural technologies, there has been a bias toward crop production systems to the neglect of improved livestock production methods and technologies. This paper explores the welfare impacts of improved livestock production practices and technologies using data from a low‐income country. Using an econometrics technique that corrects selection bias, the paper shows that the adoption of improved livestock production practices has a positive impact on household welfare, measured by consumption expenditure and diet quality. The study also identified increased consumption of animal source foods, reducing animal death and income from the sale of animals as potential mechanisms through which such improvements in livestock production affect family welfare.