Resource information
Livestock systems globally are changing
rapidly in response to human population growth,
urbanization, and growing incomes. This paper discusses the
linkages between burgeoning demand for livestock products,
growth in livestock production, and the impacts this may
have on natural resources, and how these may both affect and
be affected by climate change in the coming decades. Water
and land scarcity will increasingly have the potential to
constrain food production growth, with adverse impacts on
food security and human well-being. Climate change will
exacerbate many of these trends, with direct effects on
agricultural yields, water availability, and production
risk. In the transition to a carbon-constrained economy,
livestock systems will have a key role to play in mitigating
future emissions. At the same time, appropriate pricing of
greenhouse gas emissions will modify livestock production
costs and patterns. Health and ethical considerations can
also be expected to play an increasing role in modifying
consumption patterns of livestock products, particularly in
more developed countries. Livestock systems are
heterogeneous, and a highly differentiated approach needs to
be taken to assessing impacts and options, particularly as
they affect the resource-poor and those vulnerable to global
change. Development of comprehensive frameworks that can be
used for assessing impacts and analyzing trade-offs at both
local and regional levels is needed for identifying and
targeting production practices and policies that are locally
appropriate and can contribute to environmental
sustainability, poverty alleviation, and economic development.
