People in developing countries know that livestock are critical for sustainable development. The world’s cows, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and other farm animals are the mainstay of livelihoods across the developing world. And the energy and nutrient-dense milk, meat and eggs these animals produce provide peopl with basic livelihoods, incomes, food and nutrition.

Yet, it is difficult to successfully make the case for greater investment in sustainable livestock. People worry that livestock are bad for our health and environment. Investors say they don’t see enough convincing evidence and data that demonstrates the returns livestock interventions offer. Hard evidence is scattered and recommendations are complex due to the multiple roles livestock play in development.

The whylivestockmatter web site brings together evidence showing why increased and improved investments in sustainable livestock development are necessary. As we compiled this evidence, we observed that  many rich experiences and lessons from practice are not captured…