Across Africa and much of the developing world, animal products are an important source of disposable income. Where cash is severely scarce, the sale of even a single animal can spell the difference between life and death by providing cash with which to obtain essential foods or medical care. The small daily income gained by selling milk brings new opportunities to farm households, raising hopes as well as living standards. Dairying, in fact, acts as a 'cash crop'-and one that is heavily relied upon because it generates a more regular income than most other enterprises available to the poor. In addition, it is only the manure and draft power provided by livestock that allow hundreds of millions of rural peoples to cultivate their staple food crops, to cook their daily meals or to plaster and heat their homes.
Mobility is what makes livestock the 'bottom line' in so many peoples' risk and resource allocation.
Farm households must make nutritional, as well as economic, progress to unlock the rural potential of developing countries. Livestock can make an important contribution to the nutritional status and quality of life of people who live on smallscale farms. More than a billion people suffer from micro-nutrient malnutrition, which is successfully combated by adding milk and meat to a diet. Evidence is mounting that the essential role of animal-source foods in combating these chronic problems has been overlooked or understated. Micro-nutrients found in animal products such as vitamin B 12, for example, improve the health status of smallholder household members, enhancing the learning abilities of children and promoting development of their full potential.