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Promoting Farmers’ Resilience to Climate Change: An Option of the N’Dama Cattle in West Africa

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Climate Change Adaptation in Africa

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

The phenomenal impact of climate change is of a great concern for animal production, and the human populations that depend on it for income, meat, milk, and draught power. With particular focus on West Africa and other developing countries, this study describes some of the climate related challenges of livestock farming. It also highlights the adaptive traits of the N’Dama cattle in the context of climate change. It is becoming more evident that smallholder livestock farmers in West Africa are vulnerable, and need to cope with environmental stressors associated with climate change. The emerging trend of animal disease outbreaks, warm weather, reduced precipitation, and feed shortages especially in the prolonged dry seasons are among the challenges which climate variability poses to livestock producers. N’Dama cattle possess certain potentials such as disease tolerance, coat colour, special service and products which would enhance the resilience of smallholder livestock farmers. The findings of this study will properly inform future policy design and implementation. New information and evidences in this study will help farmers, government and development agencies to sustainably utilize locally adapted breeds such as the N’Dama cattle to enhance climate change adaptation and food security in the West African region.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of the Gambia and International Trypanotolerance Centre, P.O. Box 3530, Serrekunda, The Gambia

    Olawale Festus Olaniyan

  2. Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, PMB 373, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria

    Modupe Orunmuyi

Authors
  1. Olawale Festus Olaniyan
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  2. Modupe Orunmuyi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olawale Festus Olaniyan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. FTZ-NK, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Environmental and Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Simane Belay

  3. School of Water Resources, South Eastern Kenya University, Nairobi, Kenya

    Jokasha Kalangu

  4. Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

    Wuta Menas

  5. Department Ecosystems and Conservation, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

    Pantaleo Munishi

  6. Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

    Kumbirai Musiyiwa

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Olaniyan, O.F., Orunmuyi, M. (2017). Promoting Farmers’ Resilience to Climate Change: An Option of the N’Dama Cattle in West Africa. In: Leal Filho, W., Belay, S., Kalangu, J., Menas, W., Munishi, P., Musiyiwa, K. (eds) Climate Change Adaptation in Africa. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49520-0_21

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