1 The Contribution of Poultry to Rural Development

More than a billion people currently live in extreme poverty: these people are powerless, isolated, vulnerable and malnourished. At the 2000 World Food Summit in Rome, Heads of State renewed their commitment to halve hunger and malnutrition before the year 2015. The indications are, however, that progress is not being made at the required pace. Indeed, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) predicts that the number of malnourished children will actually increase by 25 % to 30 % before 2020 if no major action is taken. The paper presents a global overview of the development of the poultry sector and of the role of small-scale, family-based poultry production in developing countries. Major initiatives undertaken to develop poultry as a tool for rural development and their rationale are presented. The constraints facing the future of small-scale poultry production are discussed, with a particular focus on poultry disease given the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Asia. Geographical ‘hotspots ’ are identified where interventions are urgently required and where small-scale poultry has the potential to make a substantial impact. Finally, the paper stresses the need for more long-term and wider perspectives in the policies and strategies guiding the development of the poultry sector