Way forward for sustainable livestock sector

Livestock is an important global sector contributing significantly to the economy of a country. It provides food security and livelihoods for a majority of populations around the world. The worldwide demand for livestock products is predicted to double by 2050, mainly due to development in the worldwide standard of living. Meanwhile, due to the effect on the quality of feed and forage, the availability of water, animal and milk production, animal diseases, reproduction, and biodiversity, climate change is a big concern to livestock production. Meanwhile, 14.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the livestock industry, causing more climate change. The livestock will therefore be a key factor in enhancing worldwide food security and mitigating GHG emissions through the production of climate-smart livestock. The two main approaches to make livestock production “climate-smart” have been on adaptation to climatic changes and GHG mitigation. Adaptation strategies include improvements to the production and management systems as well as breeding methods, structural and policy adjustments, advances in science and technology, and changing the understanding and adaptive ability of farmers. Carbon sequestration, enhancing diets to avoid enteric fermentation, improving manure management, and more effective fertilizer usage are mitigation measures to reduce GHG emissions. In order to counter climatic changes and livestock development with successful adaptation and mitigation measures, these measures should be augmented by means of policy.