Livestock, Sub‐Saharan West Africa

Abstract

The history of livestock in West Africa is not one of independent domestication, but of introduction and subsequent diversification. When livestock were brought into new areas of sub‐Saharan West Africa, they adapted in interesting ways to suit specific environments and social conditions. With cattle, sheep, and goats in particular, a complex interplay between landscape, climate, disease, and human preferences resulted in a proliferation of breeds prized for the ways they met divergent human needs. This overview focuses on these three species, discussing the timing of their spread into sub‐Saharan West Africa, the emergence of diverse livestock breeds and their use by disparate human groups, and concludes with a brief discussion of the role of dairying in West African livestock systems.