Advancing sustainable livestock practices through ecosystem services valuation

As the world faces increasing environmental challenges, the need for sustainable livestock practices has never been more urgent. In response to this, a multi-disciplinary team of international researchers from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) have developed an integral framework for evaluating ecosystem services in livestock farming, aiming to promote practices that balance environmental, economic, and social objectives.

Livestock farming is responsible for generating a range of ecosystem services that contribute not only to food security but also to the resilience of the environment. These services include food and feed production, carbon sequestration, soil fertility enhancement, microclimatic regulation, and biodiversity conservation. Livestock systems, when managed sustainably, support healthy ecosystems that provide benefits far beyond just agricultural output.