Climate-smart approaches for enhancing livestock productivity, human nutrition, and livelihoods in low- and middle-income countries

In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, livestock production is dominated by smallholder production systems characterized by low productivity and high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity coupled with high vulnerability to climate change-related natural disasters. Yet, these countries lead the world in the future demand for livestock products. For instance, the projected growth in protein demand for red meat between 2020 and 2050 is greatest in south Asia (49%) and sub-Saharan Africa (55%) relative to global estimates (14%). Most LMIC aim to meet the increasing demand for meat and milk by increasing livestock numbers, which perpetuates the high GHG emissions intensity in these countries. Rather, emphasis should be on increasing productivity per animal through increased adoption of climate-smart interventions that sustainably increase productivity, efficiency and resilience. Such interventions must go beyond the current focus on reducing enteric methane emissions from intensive livestock production systems to include interventions that also improve adaptation to climate change, and that are appropriate for extensive smallholder livestock systems. Thus, additional factors such as affordability and socio-cultural appropriateness are particularly important determinants of adoption. We recommend the use of a systems lens to examine existing GHG mitigation strategies in terms of their efficacy as well as their support for adaptation to climate change, socio-cultural acceptability, and promotion of livestock’s contribution to food and nutritional security and livelihoods. Policy changes necessary to foster adoption of such climate-smart livestock production interventions in LMIC are discussed.