Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production
Abstract Background Invasive alien species (IAS) cause significant economic losses in all parts of the world. Although IAS are widespread in Africa and cause serious negative impacts on livelihoods as a result of yield losses and increased labour costs associated with IAS management, few data on the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
CABI
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | CABI Agriculture and Bioscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00038-7 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832574211676176384 |
|---|---|
| author | René Eschen Tim Beale J. Miguel Bonnin Kate L. Constantine Solomon Duah Elizabeth A. Finch Fernadis Makale Winnie Nunda Adewale Ogunmodede Corin F. Pratt Emma Thompson Frances Williams Arne Witt Bryony Taylor |
| author_facet | René Eschen Tim Beale J. Miguel Bonnin Kate L. Constantine Solomon Duah Elizabeth A. Finch Fernadis Makale Winnie Nunda Adewale Ogunmodede Corin F. Pratt Emma Thompson Frances Williams Arne Witt Bryony Taylor |
| author_sort | René Eschen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Invasive alien species (IAS) cause significant economic losses in all parts of the world. Although IAS are widespread in Africa and cause serious negative impacts on livelihoods as a result of yield losses and increased labour costs associated with IAS management, few data on the impacts are available in the literature and the magnitude and extent of the costs are largely unknown. We estimated the cost of IAS to agriculture, the most important economic sector in Africa. Methods Data on the monetary costs of IAS to mainland Africa as well as information about the presence and abundance of the most important IAS were collected through literature review and an online survey among a wide variety of stakeholders. Using this and additional data from publicly available sources we estimated yield losses and management costs due to IAS in agriculture for individual countries and the entire continent. Where the data allowed, the costs for selected IAS or crops were estimated separately. The estimates were extrapolated using production and distribution data and/or matching of agro-ecological zones. Results The total estimated annual cost of IAS to agriculture in Africa is USD 3.66 Tn. Yield losses, reductions in livestock derived income and IAS management costs, mainly labour costs, constitute the majority of the estimated cost (ca. 1, < 1 and 99 percent, respectively). The IAS causing the highest yield losses were Phthorimaea absoluta (USD 11.4 Bn) and Spodoptera frugiperda (USD 9.4 Bn). Conclusions This study reveals the extent and scale of the economic impacts of IAS in the agricultural sector in one of the least studied continents. Although the cost estimate presented here is significant, IAS also cause major costs to other sectors which could not be assessed due to data deficit. The results highlight the need for pre-emptive management options, such as prevention and early detection and rapid response to reduce huge potential future costs, as well as measures that contribute to large-scale control of widely established IAS at little cost to farmers and other affected land users, to reduce losses and improve livelihoods. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-24e505d09a10462983cd52bb8d2b320d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4044 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | CABI |
| record_format | Article |
| series | CABI Agriculture and Bioscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-24e505d09a10462983cd52bb8d2b320d2025-02-02T00:21:30ZengCABICABI Agriculture and Bioscience2662-40442021-05-012111810.1186/s43170-021-00038-7Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock productionRené Eschen0Tim Beale1J. Miguel Bonnin2Kate L. Constantine3Solomon Duah4Elizabeth A. Finch5Fernadis Makale6Winnie Nunda7Adewale Ogunmodede8Corin F. Pratt9Emma Thompson10Frances Williams11Arne Witt12Bryony Taylor13CABICABICABICABICABICABICABICABICABICABICABICABICABICABIAbstract Background Invasive alien species (IAS) cause significant economic losses in all parts of the world. Although IAS are widespread in Africa and cause serious negative impacts on livelihoods as a result of yield losses and increased labour costs associated with IAS management, few data on the impacts are available in the literature and the magnitude and extent of the costs are largely unknown. We estimated the cost of IAS to agriculture, the most important economic sector in Africa. Methods Data on the monetary costs of IAS to mainland Africa as well as information about the presence and abundance of the most important IAS were collected through literature review and an online survey among a wide variety of stakeholders. Using this and additional data from publicly available sources we estimated yield losses and management costs due to IAS in agriculture for individual countries and the entire continent. Where the data allowed, the costs for selected IAS or crops were estimated separately. The estimates were extrapolated using production and distribution data and/or matching of agro-ecological zones. Results The total estimated annual cost of IAS to agriculture in Africa is USD 3.66 Tn. Yield losses, reductions in livestock derived income and IAS management costs, mainly labour costs, constitute the majority of the estimated cost (ca. 1, < 1 and 99 percent, respectively). The IAS causing the highest yield losses were Phthorimaea absoluta (USD 11.4 Bn) and Spodoptera frugiperda (USD 9.4 Bn). Conclusions This study reveals the extent and scale of the economic impacts of IAS in the agricultural sector in one of the least studied continents. Although the cost estimate presented here is significant, IAS also cause major costs to other sectors which could not be assessed due to data deficit. The results highlight the need for pre-emptive management options, such as prevention and early detection and rapid response to reduce huge potential future costs, as well as measures that contribute to large-scale control of widely established IAS at little cost to farmers and other affected land users, to reduce losses and improve livelihoods.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00038-7Economic impactLabour costsLivestock derived incomeManagementPests and diseasesWeeds |
| spellingShingle | René Eschen Tim Beale J. Miguel Bonnin Kate L. Constantine Solomon Duah Elizabeth A. Finch Fernadis Makale Winnie Nunda Adewale Ogunmodede Corin F. Pratt Emma Thompson Frances Williams Arne Witt Bryony Taylor Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production CABI Agriculture and Bioscience Economic impact Labour costs Livestock derived income Management Pests and diseases Weeds |
| title | Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production |
| title_full | Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production |
| title_fullStr | Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production |
| title_short | Towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to African crop and livestock production |
| title_sort | towards estimating the economic cost of invasive alien species to african crop and livestock production |
| topic | Economic impact Labour costs Livestock derived income Management Pests and diseases Weeds |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43170-021-00038-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT reneeschen towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT timbeale towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT jmiguelbonnin towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT katelconstantine towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT solomonduah towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT elizabethafinch towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT fernadismakale towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT winnienunda towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT adewaleogunmodede towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT corinfpratt towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT emmathompson towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT franceswilliams towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT arnewitt towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction AT bryonytaylor towardsestimatingtheeconomiccostofinvasivealienspeciestoafricancropandlivestockproduction |