Many research or development studies underline the crucial role of small ruminant (SR) activities in the non tropical dry areas of world, and in particular in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. With camels, they are considered as key components of production systems over much of this vast region, which is characterized by water scarcity and erratic rainfall. SR activities may constitute the main remunerative activity or at least a pillar to ensure the viability of a large number of families in the region, particularly in remote areas. Some studies proposed to estimate the monetary contribution of SR activities in the household net income. But few studies analyze the contribution of SR activity in terms of poverty reduction and livelihood improvement. The reasons are numerous but one of them is the difficulty to apprehend the multiple and complex contributions of livestock activity to the household economy through their direct and indirect products, the intra-annual and inter-annual rhythm of production, the particular status of animal between capital-treasory-saving-social asset... "Despite its potential importance to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction, livestock sector development has received limited attention from the international donor community and national governments in recent years" (Alive platform). Within the Alive Platform, partnership for livestock development, poverty alleviation and sustainable growth for Africa, the Alive secretary, PPLPI (FAO), CIRAD and WB join their effort to develop a methodological Guide to the appropriate inclusion of the livestock sector in poverty reduction policies or agenda. In this communication, we propose to present an overview of the content of this Livestock and Poverty guide.