Review: Domestic herbivores and food security: current contribution, trends and challenges for a sustainable development

Abstract

Herbivores are found in a variety of ecosystems all over the world. Permanent pastures and meadows cover about 25% of global land. We currently count one domesticated herbivore for two people in the world and the number is growing. Production systems and products are highly diverse. This high diversity is the result of thousands of years of natural selection and human-controlled breeding, as well as migration and trade. Because of the high diversity of domestic herbivore genetic resources, herders have been able to live in regions where no alternative for income generation exists. Meat and milk from domestic herbivores provide 16% and 8% of the global protein and kilocalorie consumption, respectively. They also provide a variety of essential micronutrients but can contribute to overweight and obesity when consumed in excess. Domestic herbivores also make significant contribution to food security through the production of manure, draught power and transport and the generation of income at household and national level. They have a key role to play in women's empowerment and gender equality, both in rural and urban areas.Demand for meat and milk is increasing because of population growth, rising incomes and urbanisation. This trend is expected to continue, especially in Latin America, South Asia and China. The sustainable development of domestic herbivore production needs to address the feed/food and the efficiency of herbivores in turning forages into protein. It also needs to address the contribution of herbivores to greenhouse gas emissions, especially of ruminants through enteric fermentation, and their mitigation potential, including through carbon sequestration. Animal genetic resources have a key role to play in mitigating and adapting to climate change. The role of ruminants in the circular bioeconomy needs to be enhanced, promoting the use of by-products and waste as livestock feed and the recycling of manure for energy and nutrients. Finally, the role of domestic herbivores in providing secure livelihoods and economic opportunities for millions of smallholder farmers and pastoralists needs to be enhanced. The sustainable development of the sector therefore requires adequate policies, and there are already a variety of mechanisms available, including regulations, cross-compliance systems, payments for environmental services and research and development. Priority areas for policy makers should be aligned with the global framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and include: (i) food security and nutrition, (ii) economic development and livelihoods, (iii) animal and human health and finally, (iv) environment, climate and natural resources.

Livelihood, Food and Nutrition Security in Southern Africa: What Role Do Indigenous Cattle Genetic Resources Play?

“…Recently, it has been argued that claims about the health issues (i.e., negative cardiometabolic outcomes and cancer mortality and incidences) of red meat are not only improbable in light of human evolutionary history, but are far from being supported by robust scientific evidence [42,43]. Similarly, claims about the devastating impact of red meat production on the environment ignore the essential role that grazing animals play in sustainable agriculture (e.g., biorecycling, soil fertilisation and biodiversity preservation) [42,64,65]. Therefore, recommendations must always be considered in a specific context, while in some western countries the reduction of meat consumption is recommendable, in many developing countries a higher consumption of products of animal origin is needed for a sustainable diet.…”

“…In addition, farmers add organic manure due to its ability to act as a biological agent for soil health improvement and productivity [18]. The greatest impact of manure is the return of part of the nutrients ingested to soils, both on the rangelands (as dung produced during the daytime deposited on the grazing or arable lands) and crop production (direct application from the kraal) [37,64]. Cattle dung contributes to food and nutrition security either through its sales or improving soil fertility and structure, which increases crops yields [84][85][86]93].…”

Comparative Effects of Stovers of Four Varieties of Common Vetch on Growth Performance, Ruminal Fermentation, and Nutrient Digestibility of Growing Lambs

“…The livestock sector has an important socioeconomic role in many countries and has rapidly expanded in several regions of the world to meet increased consumption demand for red meats [7]. In particular, the global demands for sheep meat are predicted to reach a rate of 21% per year from 2016 to 2026 [8]. In China, the country with the largest sheep meat production, mutton production is mainly based in the western and northwestern provinces, especially the Tibetan plateau.…”

Herbivore nutrition supporting sustainable intensification and agro-ecological approaches

“…Session 1 focussed on herbivore nutrition in a globalised world. Mottet et al (2018) emphasised the significant contribution of domestic herbivores to food security. They discussed the perspectives and the challenges for the sustainable development of the sector, including the development of adequate policies.…”