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Current and Future Reproductive Technologies and World Food Production pp 199–211Cite as

A Perspective on the Impact of Reproductive Technologies on Food Production in Africa

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 752))

Abstract

Africa for the largest part is still regarded as part of the developing world and has a history of political instability, natural disasters, floods and droughts that all had an effect on the development of livestock production systems and the potential application of biotechnologies. It is expected that the human population in sub Saharan Africa will experience a growth of 1.2 % per year over the next 30 years. There is therefore pressure to increase sustainable productivity of livestock. Reproductive technologies such as Artificial Insemination in Africa were driven primarily by the need to control or prevent venereal diseases like Trichomoniases and Campylobacter fetus in cattle. Reproductive biotechnology had a limited impact in Africa due to several factors including a lack of infrastructure and animal recording systems, clear breeding objectives and continuously changing production systems and markets. Africa has a large variety of genetic resources adapted to the diverse environment and production systems and biotechnology should be applied within this context for an increase in food production.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Hatfield, South Africa

    Esté van Marle-Köster & Edward C. Webb

Authors
  1. Esté van Marle-Köster
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  2. Edward C. Webb
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Correspondence to Esté van Marle-Köster or Edward C. Webb .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Ctr, Marianna, Florida, USA

    G. Cliff Lamb

  2. University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Ctr, Marianna, Florida, USA

    Nicolas DiLorenzo

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van Marle-Köster, E., Webb, E.C. (2014). A Perspective on the Impact of Reproductive Technologies on Food Production in Africa. In: Lamb, G., DiLorenzo, N. (eds) Current and Future Reproductive Technologies and World Food Production. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 752. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8887-3_10

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