Sustainable livestock production: environmental, food, economic and social necessity

By Andrés González Serrano, Livestock, Animal Health and Biodiversity Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Worldwide, livestock production provides about one third of the protein that is consumed every day, and is essential for global food and nutritional security. In Latin America and the Caribbean, this activity is not only crucial to the diet of millions of people, but also represents a pillar of the local economy.

According to figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in 2022, livestock will account for 46% of the agricultural Gross Domestic Product of our region. However, this sector faces significant challenges, such as the availability of natural resources for production, the growing demand for animal protein and the need to use practices that, while profitable, reduce the sector's environmental impact. These issues require urgent attention to ensure sustainability in the sector and a contribution to food security.

FAO projects that by 2050 global demand for animal protein will increase by 20%, a scenario in which Latin America and the Caribbean has the opportunity to consolidate its position as a strategic supplier, since it is currently home to 8.5% of the world's population, but has 28% of the world's livestock herd.

Even so, the increase in livestock production must be balanced with the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity and with an emphasis on sustainability, and for that we must act as soon as possible.

In this context, FAO, the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries and the National Meat Institute of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay organized the first Regional Conference for the Sustainable Transformation of Livestock in Latin America and the Caribbean. The focus of the event is on the transformation towards more innovative, resilient and efficient livestock production systems that reduce environmental impact and increase the accessibility of healthy food in the different livestock production chains, in order to achieve Better Production.

In this way, we seek to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the region to generate synergies and balances for the improvement of productivity and animal production.

FAO, together with other entities, has already begun to implement initiatives aimed at sustainable livestock production, integrating solutions based on optimized management of natural resources, such as climate-smart livestock projects, agroforestry and silvopastoral models, and other good practices related to the circular bioeconomy, such as the use of manure for fertilizer and biofuels, and the efficient use of ecosystem services and their protective and harmonizing effects on the environment.

This not only facilitates the optimization of resources, but also increases carbon sequestration in soils. Furthermore, by integrating species adapted to local conditions, such as tropicalized cattle breeds, or South American camelids in the high Andean zones, a more diverse and resilient production is promoted.

These advances require the support of effective public policies. It is essential that governments design incentives that promote sustainability in the livestock sector, facilitating small producers' access to resources and technologies.

Addressing livestock production from a sustainable perspective is not only an environmental issue, it is an economic and social necessity.