**5. Future Perspectives**

In the following, the future perspectives for the Nepalese livestock sector will be discussed, and the role and importance of the livestock sector to ensure future food security in the country, and economic development, will be highlighted. Suggestions will be put forward for critical areas to include in Nepalese livestock development strategies to improve and sustain livestock production (Figure 4).

**Figure 4.** Future considerations to establish a productive and sustainable livestock production system in Nepal. Issues associated with animal nutrition, agronomy, and the environment are important to develop a productive livestock sector in Nepal, which could fulfill increasing demands for livestock production in changing demographic and socio-economic situations. (arrow; *↑*: improvement, arrow; *↓*: reduction); GHGs, greenhouse gases.

#### *5.1. Productive and Sustainable Livestock Systems to Alleviate Poverty*

Increasing population growth is a worldwide concern today. The most recent national population census of Nepal (2011) estimated the population to be 26.5 million, with a projection of a population increase to 30.4 and 33.6 million by 2021 and 2031, respectively [40]. Besides, Nepal is currently one of the least developed countries, where a significant proportion of the population lives below the poverty line (21.6%) [24]. Moreover, there is generally a poor nutritional status among people. Thus, 42%, 31%, and 14% of children were characterized as stunted, underweight, or suffering from wasting according to a Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS) in 2010/2011 [41]. In this respect, livestock could be a necessary tool to improve food and nutrition security and alleviate poverty, since (a) the majority of the poorer part of the rural population in the developing world (including Nepal) keep some kind of livestock, which represents a source of both income and valuable food protein [42], and (b) in a mountainous country like Nepal, conditions in vast areas for commercial crop production are poor, whereas livestock can be managed and valuable livestock-derived products can be produced in the higher hilly regions and mountains.

Previous reports have indicated that the poverty trend in Nepal is declining, particularly associated with the dynamics of both domestic migration (from rural to urban areas) and international migration (work-related migration abroad) [43], where foreign remittances have been particularly associated with poverty reduction [44]. Such migration had the following consequences for livestock production in the country: (a) the utilization of fertile land for the production of food and animal feed has declined, (b) availability of

local labor for livestock production has diminished, and (c) with increased income and better socio-economic status, per capita meat consumption and demands for livestockderived products are growing, expanding the gap between demand and domestic supply, consequently leading to increased demand for imported meat and milk products.

As pointed out previously, the Nepalese livestock system is generally characterized by low productivity. In the following sections, the specific strategies required to develop more productive livestock systems will be discussed, since it is a priority in Nepal to become more self-sufficient in terms of feeding a growing population to alleviate (rural) poverty and improve the overall nutritional status of the population.

#### *5.2. Alternative Livestock Feeding Strategies*

In Nepal, both ruminants and monogastrics should be considered important production animals in the future. Since ruminant and non-ruminant animals have different digestive functions, nutritional requirements, and abilities to utilize various feed resources, species-specific feeding strategies need to be formulated.
