Explore the vast range of titles available.

Livestock keeping can positively influence the nutritional status of populations and households through increased consumption of animal-source foods (ASF) and other indirect pathways, but can also adversely affect health by increasing the risk of diseases. We conducted a systematic review synthesising the current state of knowledge on the associations among livestock keeping, infectious disease and the nutritional status of children under 5 years and women of reproductive age in low- and lower–middle-income countries (LMICs). A comprehensive search of 12 electronic databases and grey literature sources published from 1991 to the end of December 2020 was conducted. Investigations exploring relationships between livestock keeping and risk of infectious disease transmission and nutritional status were selected using pre-defined inclusion criteria. After screening and filtering of 34,402 unique references, 176 references were included in the final synthesis. Most (160/176, 90.1%) of the references included in the final synthesis were from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia. About two out of every five (42%) studies reviewed showed that livestock production is associated with improved height-for-age Z scores (HAZ) and weight-for-length/height Z scores (WHZ), while close to a third (30.7%) with improved weight-for-age Z scores (WAZ). Similarly, livestock production showed a positive or neutral relationship with women’s nutritional status in almost all the references that reported on the topic. Conversely, four-fifths (66/81, 79.5%) of the references reporting on infection and morbidity outcomes indicated that livestock keeping is linked to a wide range of infectious disease outcomes, which are spread primarily through water, food and insects. In conclusion, in many LMIC settings, livestock production is associated with better nutritional outcomes but also a higher risk of disease transmission or morbidity among women and children. This review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO 2020 [CRD42020193622]

Animal‐source foods (ASFs), contain high amounts of essential nutrients that are readily absorbed by the body. However, children in resource‐constrained settings often have limited access to these nutritious foods. This study aimed to investigate the reasons for the low consumption of ASFs among children in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. A community‐based mixed‐methods study was conducted, using exploratory qualitative methods supplemented by the analysis of secondary data from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). The qualitative study employed a multiphase stepwise design and the maximum variation purposive sampling technique, enroling a diverse range of participants such as mothers and/or caregivers, household heads, religious and community leaders, health and nutrition experts, and others. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic framework analysis method, while the quantitative data were analysed using SPSS v22 statistical software. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of ASFs among children under 5 years of age in the region. Despite the large and diverse livestock populations available, only 13.2% of children consumed at least one animal‐source food (ASF) in the prior day. The most consumed ASFs were dairy and eggs, whereas beef, organ meat, and seafood were the least consumed. Household demographics such as residence, literacy level, paternal age, and household wealth quintiles influenced the overall consumption of ASFs. The main reasons for the low consumption of ASFs among children were unaffordability and poor awareness among caregivers. In addition, religious misconceptions, price hikes, limited availability during certain seasons, low productivity, insufficient support from health professionals, and time constraints for caregivers were also mentioned as significant barriers to ASF consumption in the area. The consumption of ASFs among children in Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara region, remains very low. This is mainly due to the caregivers' levels of awareness and unaffordability of ASFs. It is recommended that behavioural and sociocultural interventions be implemented that target caregivers to improve the consumption of ASFs among children. In resource‐constrained settings such as Ethiopia, children often have limited access to nutritious animal‐source foods (ASFs). In the Amhara region, despite a large and diverse livestock population, only one in ten children consume at least one type of ASF. Particularly, they have very limited access to beef, organ meat (offal), and seafood. Affordability and caregiver awareness of ASFs are the main factors contributing to poor consumption. Additional factors, such as religious misconceptions, limited availability during certain seasons, low productivity, insufficient support from health professionals, and caregiver time constraints, further hinder ASF consumption. Key messages In resource‐constrained settings such as Ethiopia, children often have limited access to nutritious animal‐source foods (ASFs). In the Amhara region, despite a large and diverse livestock population, only one in ten children consume at least one type of ASF. Particularly, they have very limited access to beef, organ meat (offal), and seafood. Affordability and caregivers awareness of ASFs are the main factors contributing to poor consumption. Additional factors, such as religious misconceptions, limited availability during certain seasons, low productivity, insufficient support from health professionals, and caregiver time constraints, further hinder ASF consumption.

This article exploits plausibly exogenous changes in macroeconomic conditions across home countries over time and panel individual data to examine the causal impact of home countries’ macroeconomic conditions on immigrants’ well-being in Australia. We present new and robust evidence that immigrants in Australia feel happier when their home countries’ macroeconomic conditions improve, as measured by a higher gross domestic product (GDP) per capita or lower price levels. Controlling for immigrants’ observable and unobservable characteristics, we also find that the positive GDP impact is statistically significant and economically large in size. Furthermore, the GDP and price impact erodes as immigrants age or stay in the host country beyond a certain period of time. Our findings suggest that immigrants in Australia have emotional or altruistic connections to their home countries and appear encouraging for home countries increasingly attempting to convince their diasporas to contribute more to the development of their homelands.

Livestock production is central to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries, but livestock are often poorly fed which limits their potential for reducing poverty. Efforts to improve livestock nutrition are often driven by supply-push thinking and fail to engage meaningfully with farmers and the realities they face. The Feed Assessment Tool (FEAST) was developed as a way of involving farmers more closely in decision making on livestock feed improvement. FEAST is a participatory tool which uses focus group discussions and individual farmer interviews to develop a broad overview of the livestock farming system. FEAST has been applied in many countries in the last 10 years. Examples of intensive use come from the Accelerated Value Chain Development Project in Kenya and the Rwanda Dairy Development Project in Rwanda. In both cases the tool was used to inform feed options with strong input from farmers. Although the primary purpose of FEAST is to support improved feed strategies at farm level, the data collected through the FEAST app and published in FEAST reports are a rich information resource that can be useful for developing broader system-level understanding of livestock feed issues. FEAST data can be uploaded into a global data repository where they are available for researchers. These data are also used to generate visualizations of key feed metrics further extending the use of secondary data. FEAST is an example of a participatory tool that moves decision making in the direction of farmers, while providing insights to researchers working across farming systems. Its widespread use across many countries is an indication that it fills a gap in in the livestock feed development space. Its novelty lies in bridging the knowledge gap (both ways) between livestock researchers and small-scale livestock keepers.

In smallholder crop–livestock systems where maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple cereal, the stover is usually an important but low‐quality ruminant feed. Maize stover has various competing uses, and optimal allocation of stover, particularly for forage and mulch, is essential for improving whole‐farm productivity and sustainability. Knowledge that feed quality increases with height in maize stover provides opportunities. An experiment investigated the effects of a high cutting height of stover at grain harvest (cut at two internodes below the lowest ear) on the yields and feed quality of the upper and lower stover (stubble) fractions. Measurements were made on six maize genotypes at two sites during two cropping seasons in Ethiopia. The upper stover fraction (USF) on average comprised 674 g kg–1 of the entire stover and was also substantially higher (P < .001) than the lower stover fraction (LSF) in in vitro dry matter digestibility (527 vs. 450 g kg−1 dry matter [DM]) and total N concentrations (8.8 vs. 6.2 g kg−1 DM) and was lower in fiber. Stems (including leaf sheath and tassel), husks (including shank), and leaf blade comprised 484, 310, and 206 g kg−1 of the USF, respectively. Yields and feed quality of stover varied among genotypes and environments. Use of an USF can provide a feedstuff of increased nutritional quality for ruminants, but the efficacy of the LSF for mulch requires investigation. In conclusion, a simple management change to harvest maize stover at higher stubble height combined with use of appropriate genotypes can provide higher‐quality feed while leaving stubble for conservation agriculture. Core Ideas Harvesting maize stover at high stubble height provides an upper fraction with improved feed quality. Maize genotypes with higher yields of both grain and stover fractions were identified. High stubble height and genotype choice enhance optimal allocation of stover fractions for feed and mulch. Partitioning of maize stover into fractions is valuable to optimize demands for feed and mulch.

Livestock form a major means of livelihood in Burkina Faso where almost 80% of the rural population keep sheep and goats. However, the major constraint to livestock productivity is seasonal feed scarcity. To bridge the increasing feed gap, particularly in the dry season, livestock keepers are increasingly turning to purchase of feeds from markets, which has led to emergence of feed markets in peri-urban towns and cities in the Sahel. To characterize the dynamics of these livestock feed markets, to inform and guide the development of efficient feeding systems in peri-urban livestock production, we conducted surveys in feed markets in four major towns and cities of Burkina Faso across all the agro-ecological zones. Results from this study showed that the feed types on sale included browse, bush hay, bran of maize, millet, sorghum, rice and wheat, legume residues, cereal straw and agro-industrial by-products such as cottonseed cake and concentrate feed for ruminants. The average number of feeds sold per vendor ranged from 1.5 ± 0.1 in early dry season to 3.5 ± 0.4 in late dry season. More than 80% of the feed sellers in each location reported that generation of additional income for the household was the principal reason for feed sale. The price of livestock feeds sold at different locations in Burkina Faso varied significantly with season, market location and feed type. Cottonseed cake had the highest crude protein content in all locations and across seasons ranging from an average of 16.3 to 31.9% while cereal straw (millet, maize and sorghum straw) had the lowest crude protein content of 3.5%. The results also showed a lack of a clear trend in terms of relationship between price and nutritional quality which confirms the absence of quality standardization for feeds on sale in our study sites. In developing feed industry in the region, the issue of quality standardization needs to be addressed to facilitate establishment of nutritive value-based pricing and to ensure that consumers pay a premium for quality products.

Legumes play a key role in food and nutrition security, providing livestock feed and contributing to soil fertility, in mixed smallholder farms in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). The environmental conditions under which smallholder farming is practiced are highly heterogeneous with large differences in management practices among farms resulting in variable legume productivity. A meta‐analysis based on 128 publications was conducted to quantify the effects of intercropping, inoculation with rhizobia, minimum tillage and phosphorus application on legume grain and biomass yield and the amount of biological nitrogen fixation in a range of SSA contexts. To further explain the heterogeneity in the results, legume species, type of inoculant, P‐application rate, altitude, rainfall, soil characteristics and non‐legume companion crops were used as moderators. Intercropping as compared to sole cropping reduced legume biomass and grain yields to varying extents, although the total land equivalent ratio for the sum of the intercrops was higher than 1 (1.2–1.9) in all cases. Expressed as the relative land equivalent ratio (rLER) intercropping affected pigeonpea grain yield the least (rLER 0.9) and faba bean the most (rLER 0.3). The non‐legume companion crops explained some of the heterogeneity where maize and sorghum significantly reduced the legume yields. Inoculation and P application increased legume grain and biomass yield and moderators such as legume species, type of inoculant, soil organic carbon and soil pH further explained the different effects of the management practices on legume productivity. Minimum tillage had no effect on legume productivity, although less data were available than for the other practices. We conclude that intercropping with legumes improves overall productivity and that application of P fertilizer and inoculants increase legume grain and biomass yield. The effect varies with crop species, soil type and other environmental conditions, and this needs to be factored into tailored recommendations supporting decision making in smallholder farming. Graphical on the effects of management practices on legume productivity in sub‐Saharan Africa. The meta‐analysis focused on the effect of key management practices on legume productivity in sub‐Saharan Africa. Intercropping involving legumes increase the overall productivity, while inoculation and phosphorus application increase legume yields. Various factors including soil organic carbon and soil pH help further explain the variation on legume productivity in response to different management practices.

The Australian JobKeeper wage subsidy is an unprecedented public policy response to a once in a century health and economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of this paper is on the efficacy of the Australian JobKeeper program design, including how well it meets its overall objective of retaining employer-employee matches; how well it is targeted relative to the needs of both businesses and workers; and the adequacy of JobKeeper as a wage replacement scheme. We consider both the original JobKeeper design, JobKeeper 2.0 and a series of alternative wage subsidy designs that we believe would more effectively target both employers and workers, incentivise a reallocation of labour and support a faster economic recovery.

This study assessed the price-quality relationships for the major feed products in Ethiopia with a view to informing policy makers on possible avenues to develop the livestock feed sector in the country. A survey of livestock feed markets was conducted from April to May 2019 in five regions (Amhara, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Oromia, Tigray and Addis Ababa). A total of 1700 feed samples with their respective price information were collected from 202 marketplaces. The collected samples were analyzed for their crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and metabolisable energy (ME) content. Results showed considerable variability in quality within the same feed type. Pearson correlation and regression analyses showed that price-quality relationships for the feed samples were either very weak or non-existent. Wheat bran showed a weak price to quality correlation for CP (r= 0.200 at P<0.01), ME (r= 0.202 at P<0.01) and IVOMD (r= 0.221 at P<0.01). Among the roughages, grass hay showed slight positive price to ME correlation (r= 0.382 at P<0.001) and a slight negative relationship with ADF (r=-0.336 at p<0.005). The results of this study indicated that quality attributes have no, or a limited role in setting market prices for most feed types in the Ethiopian feed market. The fact that both good and poor-quality feeds are sold under the same label and market value affects both traders and livestock producers. Therefore, it is important to build national feed analytical capabilities to allow quality of feeds to be checked against national feed standards, particularly for concentrate feeds.

The protective effects of brassica vegetables against cancer may be partly related to their glucosinolate content. Glucosinolates are hydrolysed by plant myrosinase following damage of plant tissue. Isothiocyanates are one of the main groups of metabolites of glucosinolates and are implicated in the preventive effect against cancer. During cooking of brassica the glucosinolate–myrosinase system may be modified as a result of inactivation of plant myrosinase, loss of enzymic cofactors such as epithiospecifier protein, thermal breakdown and/or leaching of glucosinolates and their metabolites or volatilisation of metabolites. Cooking brassica affects the site of release of breakdown products of glucosinolates, which is the upper gastrointestinal tract following consumption of raw brassica containing active plant myrosinase. After consumption of cooked brassica devoid of plant myrosinase glucosinolates are hydrolysed in the colon under the action of the resident microflora. Feeding trials with human subjects have shown that hydrolysis of glucosinolates and absorption of isothiocyanates are greater following ingestion of raw brassica with active plant myrosinase than after consumption of the cooked plant with denatured myrosinase. The digestive fate of glucosinolates may be further influenced by the extent of cell rupture during ingestion, gastrointestinal transit time, meal composition, individual genotype and differences in colonic microflora. These sources of variation may partly explain the weak epidemiological evidence relating consumption of brassica to prevention against cancer. An understanding of the biochemical changes occurring during cooking and ingestion of brassica may help in the design of more robust epidemiological studies to better evaluate the protective effects of brassica against cancer.