The comparative advantage of urban goat production

Urban Farm DB summary

Based on in-depth interviews with seven key informants in the cities of Adama and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a study evaluates the significance of urban goat production, one component of urban agriculture, and ways to lessen its adverse impacts. Goats can thrive in limited urban open spaces, scavenge leftovers from homes and open markets, and browse on open public land; incorporated into urban agriculture, they can contribute to a circular economy, thrive on a limited supply of water and feed, and require less care and space. Goat farming is used to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change, and goats' active nature makes them better at avoiding traffic accidents; they can also be used to control bush encroachment. Urban goat farming improves land use efficiency and food security, and goats can be used for children's play and urban ecotourism. However, goats can harm urban green spaces, so goat production must be zoned to avoid this. The study concludes that urban goat farming could add a new dimension to urban food security, but that more empirical evidence needs to be generated to support its adoption.