Economic contribution of pastoral meat trade in northern Kenya

The study “Economic contribution of the pastoral meat trade in Isiolo Town, Kenya” (2015, 32pp) by BC Gituku and colleagues uses a total economic valuation approach to characterise the economic contribution of pastoral meat production to the economy of Isiolo Town. It is based on semi-structured and key-informant interviews with livestock traders, brokers, butchers, transporters, eatery owners, hide & skin store owners and offal traders. It shows that the pastoral meat trade makes a considerable contribution to the local economy and the country at large through employment, income, sales taxes, slaughter-fee payments, transport and more. If the county government would help create a more efficient working environment by improving policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks and infrastructure (sales yards, slaughter houses, access roads), local incomes and government revenues would be even higher.

This is one of a series of reports synthesising the findings of field research conducted by masters and doctoral degree students at the University of Nairobi who investigated the contribution of pastoral production to the local economy, with support from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), UK.

Posted on 26 January 2024 in Pastoralism & Marketing, Pastoralism & Services, Pastoralist Livelihoods & Nutrition, Value of Pastoralism