Socioeconomic impact of infectious animal diseases in smallholder settings in low-income countries : focussing on African swine fever in Uganda

Abstract: Smallholder farmers in low-income countries face a number of challenges in animal production. Animal husbandry carries great potential in reducing poverty, hunger and gender inequality, but at the same time infectious diseases are prominent threats to farmers’ livelihoods and their animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the socioeconomic impact of infectious animal diseases on smallholder farmers in low-income countries, using African swine fever (ASF) in Uganda as an example. The study was conducted in two parts. The first part of the study was questionnaire-based and performed in Gulu district, northern Uganda. In total, 198 households from all the 12 sub-counties in Gulu district were visited. The second part of the study was conducted using interviews and evaluation of available data, collected from an outbreak of ASF at Adina farm, Lira district, Uganda. To assess the socioeconomic impact in the two different parts, and compare the findings in this study to those of others, a literature review was performed focussing on the social and economic impact on smallholder farmers in low-income countries, and on ASF. This study concludes that ASF is a major challenge for smallholders and larger farms alike.