ABSTRACT
Livestock in general are central to the livelihoods of a large percentage of rural households living in poverty, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Sumberg 2002). Small-stock play a critical role in conflict and post-conflict situations in the region. In Sud Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), for example, cavies 1 provide incomes, manure and animal protein, especially for women and teenagers in small-scale farming households. After decades of war and unrest, livestock numbers have substantially declined, dropping most families lower on the livestock ladder. Small animals have become prominent in the agriculture of Sud Kivu (Cox 2012; Maass et al. 2012) as well as the adjacent Great Lakes region of Rwanda and Burundi (Ouma and Birachi 2011). Agriculture in this region has traditionally been managed with crop–livestock integration (Cox 2012; Ouma and Birachi 2011). Livestock, especially cattle, are a sign of wealth and enhance social status (Dolberg 2001). During the diagnosis of a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in Sud Kivu, households consequently associated the general lack of livestock with absolute poverty (Zozo et al. 2010) when self-assessing the classes of wealth. Cattle and large livestock in general, however, represent a major risk for most farmers in Sud Kivu, particularly through theft and diseases. They are substantial assets that mostly serve as sources for savings and insurance or for manure production, but are not intended for the regular provision of food. Small-stock, such as chickens, rabbits or cavies, are lower risks (Lammers et al. 2009); they supply high-quality nutrition and create an access to market, particularly for women farmers. Teenagers from the communities also raise small-stock to pay their school fees and cover other personal needs (Maass et al. 2012). The significance of cavies being raised by a considerable proportion of livestock keepers in Eastern and Central Africa has not been investigated in detail. Perry et al. (2002) recognize the role for the poor of diverse ‘unconventional’ livestock species, but do not include them in their study due to lack of information. Sporadic media reports (e.g. Bii 2007; Mwangi 2011), however, indicate that cavies, for example, may play a discernible role in the livelihoods of poor rural people, including their potential, similar to that of keeping chickens, to assist these people in climbing up the livestock ladder.
