The multifunctional role of livestock in East African food systems: the case for dairy

We present food system objectives relevant for East Africa and the contributions to such objectives by three farming system typologies with dairy production (i.e., grazing systems, mixed crop-livestock systems, and (semi-)specialised systems). Grazing systems (represented by (agro-)pastoralism) produce dairy on dryland grasslands unsuited for crop production, and from dry season grazing on crop residues in crop regions. Such systems play an important role for biodiversity and natural resource conservation in dryland regions and may be well adapted to cope with climate change. They, however, are highly impacted by restrictions on mobility and by conflicts. Mixed crop-livestock systems, which are usually smallholder farms with a primary objective of crop production for the family’s livelihood with livestock supporting this crop production, are numerically important. This farming system provides employment, food, and livelihood to many households. Systems are circular, using by-products and wastes for feeding dairy cattle, and manure for fertilisation. (Semi-)specialised systems are high-input systems with a high output of dairy that is important for nutrition of urban dwellers. Such systems may be economically feasible, even for land-limited farmers. Resilience to climate change of these farms may be limited and manure accumulation at such farms may lead to environmental pollution. Dairy production is found to support food system sustainability, with different farming systems playing complementary roles. This implies that, policy makers should focus on farming system-specific interventions to optimise the role of dairy in sustainable food futures in East Africa.