Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-16-2020

Publication Title

Sustainability

Abstract

The per capita consumption of beef in Nigeria is reducing amidst a rising population that is dependent on beef as a major source of animal protein. In this paper, a system dynamics (SD) model was developed with the aim of testing exploratory policies aimed at reversing this trend. The simulations of various policy tests showed that, of all the policies tested, having a higher carcass yield seems to be the most efficient solution, but its feasibility faces some steep biological and ecological challenges. However, a combination of policies that cuts across the land–cattle–market nexus is necessary to obtain a consumption level that almost meets the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for recommended animal protein intake. Complex inter-linked systems, like beef production and consumption, require a systemic approach that considers dynamic feedback to avoid fixes that fail or shift the burden when making policy decisions.

Keywords

beef consumption; system dynamics; livestock systems; sustainable agriculture policy

Volume

12

Issue

8

First Page

3241

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083241

ISSN

2071-1050

Rights

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Comments

Originally published in Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3241; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083241

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