Alleviating poverty through working equine welfare

A conference on alleviating poverty through working equine welfare brought together international development, veterinary and animal welfare experts, journalists and academics to discuss how the needs of working equine animals could be included on the international development agenda.

The seminar formed part of our wider advocacy work, communicating the crucial role working equine animals have in the lives of millions of poor people and the part they play in alleviating poverty.

Key issues arising:

• Poverty, food security and equine welfare
  Ganesh Pandey, the President of Shramik Bharti, a social development organisation in India, talked about how working horses, donkeys and mules help communities sustain themselves and reported how improved equine welfare is making a positive difference to the lives of some of the poorest owners.
• Demonstrating the value of working equids
  Paul Starkey, from Animal Traction Development, explored the socio-economic value of working horses, donkeys and mules, saying there is likely to be an increased demand for working animals as climate change affects weather patterns globally. Professor Cheryl McCrindle from the University of Pretoria outlined how poor equine health and welfare can act as an inhibitory factor in poverty alleviation.
• Job creation, employment and sustainable economies
  Professor McCrindle went on to call for working horses and donkeys to be seen in the same way as a local taxi service, needing good infrastructure and resources in order to work well.
• Working animals, human health and reducing the burden on women
  Grace Mukassa, Chief Executive of the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) said: “I don’t think we reflect enough on what the the role of working animals means in terms of reducing the burden on women, who are the most vulnerable people we want to reach.”
• Village transport policy
  Paul Starkey emphasised the role of working equines in rural transport policy and how donkey carts and motorised transport can complement each other and ensure rural access in times of increasing urban bias.