The Livestock Sector at a Crossroads: Transitioning the Livestock Sector for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
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Washington, DC: World Bank
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As the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine (WBMU) advance toward European Union accession, their livestock sectors face both significant opportunities and inevitable transition pressures, particularly for smallholder producers, as observed across past New Member States. While EU accession offers expanded market access, increased funding, technical assistance, and harmonized quality standards, higher regulatory, animal health and welfare (AH&W), environmental, and climate requirements pose substantial challenges for small scale and informal producers. Livestock remains central to rural livelihoods, food security, and agricultural GDP in WBMU, yet the sector is constrained by declining animal numbers, productivity gaps, fragmented markets, rising costs, disease risks, and climate vulnerability. Experience from Montenegro demonstrates that transition costs can be mitigated through targeted policies, including flexible EU aligned hygiene standards, price based market interventions, rural development grants, and focused investment support for small scale producers. Progress in Montenegro’s meat sector and the region’s poultry industry highlights the potential for inclusive and sustainable growth when appropriate incentives and institutional support are in place. This report analyzes the implications of EU accession for WBMU livestock sectors, assessing both risks and opportunities across four themes: unlocking market potential, supporting smallholders and vulnerable groups, ensuring high AH&W standards, and enhancing environmental outcomes. It proposes a “4R” vision of remunerative, rewarding, resilient, and renewable as a strategic roadmap to guide long term, inclusive, and sustainable sector transformation.
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LIVESTOCK SECTOR, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND TRADE, LIVESTOCK TRENDS