Niger is an adequate performer (“C”) under the VACI, on par with the Philippines and Ethiopia. Although the country has low consumption of animal products and low dependence on farmed animal production, its animal protection legislative framework is inadequate.
The country slaughters around 1.2 land-based animals per person per year, compared with the global average of 10.1. Dependence on farmed animals is low, with around 3 farmed animals per person, versus a global average of 4.1. Farm production is typically small-scale and extensive, using local breeds of camels, goats, sheep, and cattle.
The livestock sector is a mainstay of the Niger economy. The Nigerien diet contains a low proportion of animal products with 15% made up of land-based animal protein, compared to a global average of 35.2%. Each person consumes an average of around 11.9g land-based animal protein per day, versus a global average of 27.2g.
Niger is a poor performer (“E”) under the Animal Protection Index (API), and its farmed animal protection legislation achieved the worst ("G") performance rating under the same index. The country’s animal protection laws are inadequate, especially for farmed animals. This is largely due to the lack of legislation regarding animal husbandry. Learn more about the quality of Niger’s legislative protections on the API here.