Village poultry: still important to millions, eight thousand years after domestication

Village poultry make a significant contribution to poverty alleviation and household food security in many developing countries. This contribution by village poultry to livelihoods can also support HIV/AIDS mitigation and wildlife conservation initiatives. Appropriate interventions focussing on the factors limiting productivity of the different production systems must be tailored according to country and local conditions. The contrast between the type of support in relation to the production systems that might be promoted in export-oriented countries such as Thailand, in comparison to others such as Mozambique and Lao PDR is discussed. A review of the benefits and costs of inputs comparing small scale commercial poultry and scavenging village poultry production systems in different countries taking into account the bio-risks for each production system demonstrates the overall efficiency of the village production system and provides an insight into why this system has continued to thrive into the 21st century.