Inflation and food security
As available arable land shrinks in certain regions, foodstuffs such as millet and sorghum become scarcer and their prices soar. In order to eat, farmers need to sell more animals; as a result, their herds are shrinking. The animals are underfed and more susceptible to disease. In this increasingly insecure environment, veterinary services are struggling.
Oumar Ballo, a veterinarian working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Mali, explains: “The price of livestock feed has also risen. The animals no longer have enough food, especially during the lean season.” Livestock farming is increasingly under threat in Mali, despite the country being one of the largest producers of livestock in West Africa. “In terms of food security, it’s definitely worrying,” he adds.
Arrab and his community of livestock farmers have been searching for decades for the pastures they need to keep their cattle alive. They moved to Burkina Faso in the 1990s, hoping to find a better life. Due to food insecurity and the consequences of