The Meat Value Chain : Alay and Chon Alay Rayons, Kyrgyzstan

Voices from the Field : Featured Map

Kyrgyzstan : This information graphic (infographic) shows the full value chain, from inputs to marketing, for livestock in the Alay and Chon Alay districts of southern Kyrgyzstan. It shows natural resources that lead to where and how livestock is produced, the processing of that livestock into different products, and the different points of sale where those products are monetized.

The infographic was created to illustrate the economic problem, opportunities, and possible interventions for this particular economic activity in this small, impoverished region of Central Asia. More specifically, it can be used to guide development planning for stakeholders in the region who are interested in interventions around the meat value chain.

The infographic merges an underlying set of spatial data, including key infrastructure and geographic information, with a set of graphic additions that help explain the human element of the economic situation. Information from a variety of sources, including several sets of quantitative government data, as well as a qualitative analysis by regional experts are combined to portray the full complexity and reality of the situation. Therefore, this infographic provides a lasting picture of this value chain in one of the critical regions for economic development in Kyrgyzstan. It could be used by local government, local NGOs, or international organizations to create a development strategy targeted at the specific strengths and weaknesses of this value chain.

Ultimately, the aim of this infographic is a more targeted version of the overarching aim of the REACH program : to promote better decisions through information. In this case, that means better decisions to promote economic development through information about the problems and opportunities within the value chain of the livestock sector in Alay and Chon Alay.

Click here to download the map as pdf.

To learn more about REACH in Kyrgyzstan, please visit our country page. 

About the map author : I am the Regional GIS Officer for ACTED Central Asia and have worked in mapping for over 4 years. I am passionate about expressing data through creative visualization, turning data into accessible information, to inform better decision making in development and beyond.