Insurance Function of Livestock: Farmer’s Coping Capacity with Regional Droughts in South-Western Madagascar

Hendrik Hänke and Jan Barkmann

World Development, 2017, vol. 96, issue C, 264-275

Abstract: In semi-arid areas, pastoralism is attributed to an insurance function for smallholder farmers relying otherwise on rain-fed agriculture. In southwestern Madagascar, zebu cattle are the most prominent herded animal, and the heads a household owns is a strong indicator of both prestige and social status. Given the extreme socio-cultural value of zebu cattle in Malagasy culture, however, many authors question the economic rationale of zebu accumulation. Consequently, improved zebu herding has been widely ignored as a suitable target for development interventions. Empirical micro-level data on the role of livestock herding in terms of household economics is missing, though. With this contribution, we close this knowledge gap by analyzing the economic importance of zebu herding against (i) the general role of livestock husbandry and (ii) non-cattle-related livelihood and coping strategies to safeguard smallholders against crop failures.

Keywords: Africa; Insurance function; Food security; Madagascar; Rural development; Semi-arid regions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:96:y:2017:i:c:p:264-275

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.03.011

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