AUTHOR=Singh Mahak , Mollier R. T. , Paton R. N. , Pongener N. , Yadav Rekha , Singh Vinay , Katiyar Rahul , Kumar Rakesh , Sonia Chongtham , Bhatt Mukesh , Babu S. , Rajkhowa D. J. , Mishra V. K. 

TITLE=Backyard poultry farming with improved germplasm: Sustainable food production and nutritional security in fragile ecosystem

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 6 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.962268

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2022.962268

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=Around 3 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2019 because of poverty and inequlaity. Most of these people live in Asia and Africa. Furthermore, 30% of world population was affected by moderate to severe food insecurity in 2020, and most of this population lives in low- and middle-income countries. The world is at critical juncture and there is urgent need of transformative food systems that ensure empowerment of poor and vulnerable population groups, often smallholders with limited access to resources or those living in remote locations, as well as the empowerment of women, children and youth. Backyard poultry production system (BPPS), as practiced by 80% of the world’s rural population, can be that transformative change in low- and middle-income countries. Although, BPPS is having low productivity, but still plays an important role in food and nutritional security of rural people living in fragile ecosystems. In some countries, backyard poultry constitute almost 50 to 80% of total poultry population. Backyard poultry has been recognized as a tool for poverty alleviation, women empowerment besides ensuring food and nutritional security of rural poor. The poultry meat and eggs are the cheapest and best source of good quality protein, minerals and vitamins. The introduction of improved backyard poultry germplasm has improved the productivity of this system in poor resource setting and thereby improved the income and nutritional security of poor households. With these birds, the availability, access, utilization and stability of food security has improved at household as well as at national level. Diseases, predation, non-availability of improved germplasm, lack of access to markets and lack of skills are the major constraints for adoption of improved backyard poultry. These constraints can be addressed by involving network of community animal service providers. The improved backyard poultry germplasm will dominate the backyard poultry production system in future and will be a tool for ensuring food and nutritional security on sustainable basis more particularly in low- and middle-income countries.