Livestock Health and Gender Dynamics in Smallholder Farming Systems

Livestock production underpins the livelihoods of millions of smallholder households worldwide, providing income, nutrition and social capital. The health of animals in these systems is closely linked to food security, farmer wellbeing and the broader One Health agenda. Yet smallholders face myriad challenges including infectious disease outbreaks, limited access to veterinary services, inappropriate use of antimicrobials and inadequate infrastructure. Gender dynamics profoundly shape livestock management: women often assume primary responsibility for daily care yet may lack decision-making authority, access to credit or training. Men tend to control high-value assets and market transactions, which can constrain the ability of women to invest in animal health or to capture benefits from commercialisation. Understanding the interplay between veterinary innovations, service delivery models and intra-household gender relations is thus essential to enhance productivity, equity and resilience in smallholder farming systems.

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Livestock Health and Gender Dynamics in Smallholder Farming Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in livestock health and gender dynamics in smallholder farming systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Smallholder farming: Agricultural production on limited land, primarily for subsistence and local markets, reliant on family labour.
Livestock productivity: The efficiency of animal production, measured by growth rates, yield or reproductive performance.
Gender dynamics: The interaction of social norms, roles and power relations between men and women influencing decision-making and resource control.
One Health: An integrated approach recognising the interconnected health of humans, animals and ecosystems.
Antimicrobial use: Administration of antimicrobial agents in animals, with potential consequences for resistance development.
Cluster-randomised trial: An experimental design in which groups rather than individuals are assigned to interventions to assess real-world efficacy.
Diversification: The integration of multiple agricultural enterprises (for example, crops and livestock) to spread risk and enhance resilience.

References

1. Effects of community action on animal vaccination uptake, antimicrobial usage, and farmers’ wellbeing in Ghana: study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial. One Health (2024).
2. Livestock Farming Adoption in Rural Bangladesh: Determinants and Impacts on Household Income and Women's Dietary Diversity. Food and Energy Security (2025).
3. Intensifying Inequality? Gendered Trends in Commercializing and Diversifying Smallholder Farming Systems in East Africa. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2019).