Investing in Livestock for Improved and Resilient Livelihoods, Nutrition and Climate Action

Livestock provide food, fuel, fibre and income to many people living in extreme poverty. With three in five rural households keeping livestock, it is a growing part of IFAD’s portfolio.

Although livestock are a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, they play a crucial role in income generation, building resilience, reducing GHG emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.

Reducing or stopping investments in livestock may prove detrimental to the livelihoods of smallholders and pastoralists, and may also result in higher emissions in the medium term.

This position paper outlines five recommendations for livestock investments to deliver better climate outcomes while supporting livelihoods and nutrition:

1. Mainstream climate-smart livestock interventions across IFAD’s portfolio.
2. Promote simple indicators and tools to measure climate outcomes from livestock investments.
3. Improve access to finance to develop low-emission livestock value chains.
4. Develop capacity on low-emission and resilient livestock interventions.
5. Inform and support public policies accordingly.