ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the past, present and future of urban livestock keeping and discusses the benefits and risks and their management. Urban livestock keeping is an interesting aspect of urban agriculture. In Africa and Asia, where urban agriculture remained an important subsistence and economic activity, it was the focus for sporadic civic action and research. There are few formal studies on the economics of urban livestock keeping, with most studies on nutrition and livelihood benefits or health impacts such as Health impacts, direct environmental impacts and Social impacts. Much attention has been paid to the role of urban livestock keeping in maintaining and transmitting diseases and contaminating the environment. Urban and peri-urban livestock also plays an important, and in some cases increasing, role in supporting livelihoods and nutrition. Environmental impacts can be mitigated if farms in peri-urban spaces can develop better waste management practices.
