A conceptual framework for the economic analysis of factors influencing decision-making of small-scale farmers in animal health management

The delivery of veterinary services in most of sub-Saharan Africa has under gone substantial changes, with the private sector gaining increasing recogn ition as an alternative to state provision. Given this policy shift, the au thors argue that a better understanding of the behaviour and decision-makin g processes of small-scale farmers in animal health management is urgently required, to guide policy decisions regarding the delivery of animal health services. Whether the involvement of the private sector will improve overa ll efficiency in the delivery of veterinary services will depend greatly on the demand response of livestock producers who must make decisions about t he health of livestock. The authors briefly review the decision-making process in small-scale farmi ng systems, the economic nature of animal diseases and disease control and the models that have been used to guide resource allocation for disease con trol. To gain an improved understanding of the behaviour and decision-makin g processes of small-scale farmers, the authors propose a conceptual model including variables that relate to characteristics specific to small-scale farmers and farms, economic factors, institutional setting and biophysical factors. Two possible approaches are proposed for the economic analysis. Ag ricultural household modelling allows the derivation and testing of hypothe ses regarding the demand elasticities for veterinary services, while qualit ative choice models are better suited to the analysis of determinants behin d the choices of farmers. The authors conclude that an urgent need exists f or empirical research in this area.