Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T07:41:08.990Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reducing food insecurity in developing countries through meat production: the potential of the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2009

Peter J. Lammers ,
Sarah L. Carlson ,
Gretchen A. Zdorkowski  and
Mark S. Honeyman
Peter J. Lammers
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3150, USA.
Sarah L. Carlson
Affiliation:
Practical Farmers of Iowa, Ames, IA 50010, USA.
Gretchen A. Zdorkowski
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1010, USA.
Mark S. Honeyman*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3150, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Global poverty and food insecurity continue to remain critical issues, especially in rural areas. Developing and fostering agricultural systems that not only require low to moderate amounts of economic capital and few external inputs but also maintain and enhance the resource base of production are key features of sustainable agricultural development. Sustainable agricultural development, including diversifying smallholder production to include livestock, is a pragmatic approach to address both rural poverty and food insecurity. Livestock play important roles in the lives of humans as converters, recyclers and banks of nutrients. Smallholders raise a diversity of livestock species and often raise multiple species simultaneously. High fecundity, diet flexibility and adaptability to a wide range of housing and management approaches are critical traits of livestock species well suited for producing meat for home consumption and marketing in the context of rural smallholders. Swine (Sus scrofa) and chicken (Gallus domesticus) meet many of these criteria and are well known livestock species. This paper examines the potential for a less common species of livestock, guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) to enhance food security and increase household income of rural smallholders. Although cultural acceptance of guinea pig as a source of nutrition and income is less ubiquitous than that of swine, chicken and other species, the biological, ecological and economic advantages of guinea pig deserve further examination by those working to alleviate global poverty and food insecurity.

Keywords

animal proteindevelopmentguinea pigslivestock
Type
Review Article
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , June 2009 , pp. 155 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 2001. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2001. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.Google Scholar
2FAO. 2006. The State of Food Insecurity in the World. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.Google Scholar
3UN. 2000. United Nations Millennium Declaration. A/RES/55/2. United Nations, New York, NY.Google Scholar
4Dixon, J., Gulliver, A., and Gibbon, D. 2001. Farming Systems and Poverty: Improving Farmer's Livelihoods in a Changing World. FAO and World Bank, Rome and Washington, DC.Google Scholar
5Rahman, A. and Westley, J. 2001. The challenge of ending rural poverty. Development Policy Review 19:553–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6World Bank. 2007. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
7Devendra, C. and Chantalankhana, C. 2002. Animals, poor people, and food insecurity: opportunities for improved livelihoods through efficient natural resource management. Outlook on Agriculture 31:161–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Sanchez, P., Swaminathan, M.S., Dobie, P., and Yuksel, N. 2005. Halving Hunger: It Can be Done. UN Millennium Project, New York, NY.Google Scholar
9Devendra, C. 2007. Small farm systems to feed hungry Asia. Outlook on Agriculture 36:7–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Lind, M. 2007. The smallholder society. Harvard Law and Policy Review 1:143–160.Google Scholar
11Hegsdijk, H., Guanghuo, W., Van den Bern, M.M., Jaingdi, W., Wolf, J., Changhe, L., Roetter, R.P., and VanKeulen, H. 2007. Poverty and biodiversity trade-offs in rural development: a case study for Pujiang county, China. Agricultural Systems 94:851–861.Google Scholar
12NRC. 1991. Microlivestock: Little Known Animals with a Promising Economic Future. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
13Lappé, F.M. 1991. Diet for a Small Planet. Ballatine Books, New York, NY.Google Scholar
14Dwyer, J.T. 1991. Nutritional consequences of vegetarianism. Annual Review of Nutrition 11:61–91.Google Scholar
15Haddad, E.H., Sabaté, J., and Whitten, C.B. 1999. Vegetarian food guide pyramid: a conceptual framework. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 70:615S–619S.Google Scholar
16Panebianco, S.M. 2007. The merits and pitfalls of vegetarianism. Explore 3:55–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17ADA. 2003. Position of the American dietetic association and dieticians of Canada: vegetarian diets. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 103:748–765.Google Scholar
18Murphy, S.P. and Allen, L.H. 2003. Nutritional importance of animal source foods. Journal of Nutrition 133:3932S–3935S.Google Scholar
19Bradford, G.E. 1999. Contributions of animal agriculture to meeting global human food demand. Livestock Production Science 59:95–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Abrams, H.L. 1979. The relevance of Paleolithic diet in determining contemporary nutritional needs. Journal of Applied Nutrition 31:43–59.Google Scholar
21Abrams, H.L. 1980. Vegetarianism: an anthropological/nutritional evaluation. Journal of Applied Nutrition 32:53–87.Google Scholar
22Eaton, S.B., Eaton, S.B.I., and Konner, M.J. 1997. Paleolithic nutrition revisited: a twelve-year retrospective on its nature and implications. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51:207–216.Google Scholar
23Devendra, C., Morton, J., Rischkowsky, B., and Thomas, D. 2005. Chapter 3: Livestock systems. In Owen, E.A., Kitalyi, A., Jayasuriya, A., and Smith, T. (eds). Livestock and Wealth Creation: Improving the Husbandry of Animals Kept by Resource-poor People in Developing Countries. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK. p. 29–52.Google Scholar
24Mkhabela, T.S. 2006. A review of the use of manure in small-scale crop production systems in South Africa. Journal of Plant Nutrition 29:1157–1185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25Blair, N., Faulkner, R.D., Till, A.R., and Crocker, G.J. 2006. Long-term management impacts on soil C, N, and physical fertility part 3: Tamworth crop rotation experiment. Soil and Tillage Research 91:48–56.Google Scholar
26Hartwig, N.L. and Ammon, H.U. 2002. Cover crops and living mulches. Weed Science 50:688–699.Google Scholar
27Wilson, T.A., Pearson, A., Bradbear, N., Jayasuriya, A., Laswai, H., Mtenga, L., Richards, S., and Smith, R. 2005. Chapter 7: Livestock products—valuable and more valuable. In Owen, E.A., Kitalyi, A., Jayasuriya, A., and Smith, T. (eds). Livestock and Wealth Creation: Improving the Husbandry of Animals Kept by Resource-poor People in Developing Countries. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK. p. 109–126.Google Scholar
28Kitalyi, A., Mtenga, L., Morton, J., McLeod, A., Thornton, P., Dorward, A., and Saadhullah, M. 2005. Chapter 2: Why keep livestock if you are poor? In Owen, E.A., Kitalyi, A., Jayasuriya, A., and Smith, T. (eds). Livestock and Wealth Creation: Improving the Husbandry of Animals Kept by Resource-poor People in Developing Countries. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK. p. 13–27.Google Scholar
29Randolph, T.F., Schelling, E., Grace, D., Nicholson, C.F., Leroy, J.L., Cole, D.C., Demment, M.W., Omore, A., Zinsstage, J., and Ruel, M. 2007. Role of livestock in human nutrition and health for poverty reduction in developing countries. Journal of Animal Science 84:349–360.Google Scholar
30FAO. 2006. World agriculture: Towards 2030/2050, Interim Report. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.Google Scholar
31Pond, W.G. and Mersmann, H.J. 2001. Chapter 1: Generalized characteristics. In Pond, W.G. and Mersmann, H.J. (eds). Biology of the Domestic Pig. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. p. 1–40.Google Scholar
32Lammers, P.J., Kerr, B.J., Weber, T.E., Bregendahl, K., Lonergan, S.M., Prusa, K.J., Ahn, D.U., Stoffregen, W.C., Dozier, W.A. III,, and Honeyman, M.S. 2008. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and tissue histology of growing pigs fed crude glycerol-supplemented diets. Journal of Animal Science 82:2962–2970.Google Scholar
33NRC. 1994. Nutrient requirements of poultry. 9th Revised Edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
34Fraga, L.M., Ramos, N., Cino, D.M., Martinez, R.O., Venereo, M., and Rodriguez, C. 1993. The utilization of quinoa (Chinopodium-quinoa w.) forage in diets for broilers. Cuban Journal of Agriculture Science 27:329–333.Google Scholar
35Buchanan, N.P., Hott, J.M., Kimbler, L.B., and Moritz, J.S. 2007. Nutrient composition and digestibility of organic broiler diets and forage. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 16:13–21.Google Scholar
36Buchanan, N.P., Kimbler, L.B., Parsons, A.S., Seidel, G.E., Bryan, W.B., Felton, E.E.D., and Moritz, J.S. 2007. The effects of nonstarch polysaccharide enzyme addition and dietary restriction on performance and carcass quality of organic broiler chickens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 16:1–12.Google Scholar
37NRC. 1991. Chapter 5: Chicken. In NRC (ed.). Microlivestock: Little Known Animals with a Promising Economic Future. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. p. 79–89.Google Scholar
38NRC. 1991. Chapter 14: Domestic rabbit. In NRC (ed.). Microlivestock: Little Known Animals with a Promising Economic Future. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. p. 183–190.Google Scholar
39Archetti, E.P. 1997. Guinea pigs: Food, Symbol, and Conflict of Knowledge in Ecuador. Berg, Oxford, UK.Google Scholar
40Morales, E. 1994. The guinea pig in the Andean economy: from household animal to market commodity. Latin American Research Review 29:129–142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
41NRC. 1991. Chapter 20: Guinea pig. In NRC (ed.). Microlivestock: Little Known Animals with a Promising Economic Future. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. p. 241–249.Google Scholar
42Numanyakpa, M., Lukefahr, S.D., Gudahl, D., and Ngoupayou, J.D. 1997. The current and future prospects of guinea pig production under smallholder conditions in West Africa: global overview. Livestock Research for Rural Development 9:1–6.Google Scholar
43Hirsch, E. 1973. Some determinants of intake and patterns of feeding in the guinea pig. Physiology and Behavior 11:687–704.Google Scholar
44Navia, J.M. and Hunt, C.E. 1976. Chapter 17: Nutrition, nutritional diseases, and nutritional research applications. In Wagner, J.E. and Manning, P.J. (eds). The Biology of the Guinea pig. Academic Press, New York, NY. p. 235–268.Google Scholar
45Henning, S.J. and Hird, F.J.R. 1970. Concentrations and metabolism of volatile fatty acids in the fermentive organs of two species of kangaroo and the guinea pig. British Journal of Nutrition 24:145–155.Google Scholar
46NRC. 1995. Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals. 4th Revised Edition. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
47Ediger, R.D. 1976. Chapter 2: Care and management. In Wagner, J.E. and Manning, P.J. (eds). The Biology of the Guinea pig. Academic Press, New York, NY. p. 5–12.Google Scholar
48Martinez, R.D. January 6, 2008. Ambato, Ecuador. personal communication with author.Google Scholar
49Charbonneau, R. 1988. Fiesta for Six: One Guinea pig. IDRC Reports 17:6–8.Google Scholar
50Adu, E., Patterson, R., Rojas, F., Laswai, G., Fielding, D., and Osafo, E. 2005. Chapter 17: Grasscutters, guinea pigs, and rabbits. In Owen, E.A., Kitalyi, A., Jayasuriya, A. and Smith, T. (eds). Livestock and Wealth Creation: Improving the Husbandry of Animals Kept by Resource-poor People in Developing Countries. Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK. p. 29–52.Google Scholar
51Numbella, E.R. and Valencia, C.R. 2003. Guinea pig Management Manual. Benson Agriculture and Food Institute, Provo, UT.Google Scholar
52Darre, M.J., Sulik, S.A., and Kinsman, D.M. 1991. Physiological averages/ranges. In Putnam, P.A. (ed.). Handbook of Animal Science. Academic Press Inc., San Diego, CA. p. 183–200.Google Scholar
53Breazile, J.E. and Brown, E.M. 1976. Chapter 6: Anatomy. In Wagner, J.E. and Manning, P.J. (eds). The Biology of the Guinea pig. Academic Press, New York, NY. p. 53–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
54Pitts, G.C. 1956. Body fat accumulation in the guinea pig. American Journal of Physiology 185:41–48.Google Scholar
55Schumacher, E.F. 1973. Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. Harper Perennial, New York, NY.Google Scholar
56Doran, M.H., Low, A.R.C., and Kemp, R.L. 1979. Cattle as a store of wealth in Swaziland: implications for livestock development and overgrazing in Eastern and Southern Africa. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 61:41–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
57Moll, H.A. 2005. Costs and benefits of livestock systems and the role of market and nonmarket relationships. Agricultural Economics 35:181–193.Google Scholar
58Hoddinott, J. 2006. Shocks and their consequences across and within households in rural Zimbabwe. Journal of Development Studies 42:301–321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
59Aromolaran, A.B. 2004. Household income, women's income share and food calorie intake in South Western Nigeria. Food Policy 29:507–530.Google Scholar
60Blumberg, R.L. 1988. Income under female versus male control: hypotheses from a theory of gender of stratification and data from the third world. Journal of Family Issues 9:51–84.Google Scholar
61Bruce, J. 1989. Homes divided. World Development 42:301–321.Google Scholar
62Engle, P.L. 1993. Influences of mother's and father's income on children's nutritional status in Guatemala. Social Science and Medicine 37:1303–1312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
63Aklilu, H.A., Almekinders, C.J.M., Udo, H.M.J., and Van der Zijpp, A.J. 2007. Village poultry consumption and marketing in relation to gender, religious festivals, and market access. Tropical Animal Health and Production 39:165–177.Google Scholar
64Selanikio, J. 2008. The Invisible Computer Revolution. Available at Web site http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/7106998.stm. (accessed 27 February 2008).Google Scholar
65Aker, J.C. 2008. Does Digital Divide of Provide? The Impact of Cell Phones on Grain Markets in Niger. Available at Web site http://www.cgdev.org/doc/events/2.12.08/Aker_Job_Market_Paper_15jan08_2.pdf (accessed 29 April 2008).Google Scholar
66Patterson, D.J., Perry, R.C., Kiracofe, G.H., Bellows, R.A., Staigmiller, R.B., and Corah, L.R. 1992. Management considerations in heifer development and puberty. Journal of Animal Science 70:4018–4035.Google Scholar
67Patterson, D.J., Woods, S.L., and Randle, R.F. 2000. Procedures that support reproductive management of replacement beef heifers. Journal of Animal Science 77:1–15.Google Scholar
68Steen, R.W.J., Lavery, N.P., Kilpatrick, D.J., and Porter, M.G. 2003. Effects of pasture and high-concentrate diets on the fatty acid composition of beef. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 46:69–81.Google Scholar
69Sarica, M. 1997. The effects of slaughter age on carcass traits. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences 21:413–420.Google Scholar
70Gipson, T.A., Goetsch, A.L., Detweiler, G., and Sahulu, T. 2007. Effects of feeding method, diet nutritive value and physical form, and genotype on feed intake, feeding behavior, and growth performance of meat goats. Small Ruminant Research 71:170–178.Google Scholar
71Malan, S.W. 2000. The improved Boer goat. Small Ruminant Research 36:165–170.Google Scholar
72Oman, J.S., Waldron, D.F., Griffin, B.D., and Savell, J.W. 1999. Effects of breed-type and feeding regime on goat carcass traits. Journal of Animal Science 77:3215–3218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
73Ryan, S.M., Unruh, J.A., Corrigan, M.E., Drouillard, J.S., and Seyfert, M. 2007. Effects of concentrate level on carcass traits of Boer crossbred goats. Small Ruminant Research 73:67–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
74Webb, E.C. and Mamabolo, M.J. 2004. Production and reproduction characteristics of South African indigenous goats in communal farming systems. South African Journal of Animal Science 34 (Suppl. 1):236–239.Google Scholar
75Lukefahr, S.D., Cheeke, P.R., McNitt, J.I., and Patton, N.M. 2004. Limitations of intensive rabbit production in North America: a review. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 84:349–360.Google Scholar
76Lukefahr, S.D., Nwosu, C.V., and Rao, D.R. 1989. Cholesterol level of rabbit meat and trait relationships among growth, carcass, and lean yield performances. Journal of Animal Science 67:2009–2017.Google Scholar
77Honeyman, M.S. and Harmon, J.D. 2003. Performance of finishing pigs in hoop structures and confinement during summer and winter. Journal of Animal Science 81:1663–1670.Google Scholar
78Kyriazakis, I. and Whittemore, C.T. (eds). 2006. Whittemore's Science and Practice of Pig Production. 3rd edition. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK.Google Scholar
79Dimsoski, P., Tosh, J.J., Clay, J.C., and Irvin, K.M. 1999. Influence of management system on litter size, lamb growth, and carcass characteristics in sheep. Journal of Animal Science 77:1037–1043.Google Scholar
80Fogarty, N.M., Ingham, V.M., Gilmour, A.R., Afolayan, R.A., Cummins, L.J., Hocking Edwards, J.E., and Gaunt, G.M. 2007. Genetic evaluation of crossbred lamb production. 5. Age of puberty and lambing performance of yearling crossbred ewes. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 58:928–934.Google Scholar
81Iman, N.Y. and Slyter, A.L. 1996. Lifetime lamb and wool production of Targhee or Finn-Dorset-Targhee ewes managed as farm or range flock: I. average annual ewe performance. Journal of Animal Science 74:1757–1764.Google Scholar
82Kott, R. 2006. Montana Farm Flock Sheep Production Handbook. Available at Web site http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/Articles/Sheep/Flock%20Handbook/Handbook-TOC.htm (accessed 29 April 2008).Google Scholar