Livestock feeding systems and feed gaps in East African smallholder farms
Dairy development is a promising pathway out of poverty for smallholder farmers as demand for animal-sourced foods is projected to rise. Feed is a critically limiting factor in productivity of smallholder dairy systems in East Africa. This study aims to introduce and provide proof-of-concept for a relatively simple approach to quantify feeding systems and feed gaps in data-scarce smallholder systems. Feed gap here is defined as the difference between livestock feed demand for an attainable milk production level (attainable feed demand) and actual feed supply at individual herd level.