According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector provides about 40 percent of the global value of agricultural output and supports the livelihoods of almost 1.3 billion people. Around 500 million pastoralists worldwide rely on livestock herding for food, income, and a store of wealth.
Much of the world still relies on inefficient and destructive traditional practices that damage the environment and worsen food insecurity, fuelling local strife over grazing land and, at times, armed conflict.
Threats and Challenges
Biodiversity: Biodiversity underpins the planet’s health and humankind’s survival. The spread of Dutch Elm Disease across the U.S. and Europe — by 1990 very few mature elms remained, and France lost 97 percent — shows the danger of low genetic diversity: a disease-resistant hybrid was possible only because of biodiversity. In the same way, diversity in animal stocks is a vital, irreplaceable resource that helps livestock growers adapt to changing conditions.
Improving crop yield and animal care: Livestock manure has long maintained crop yields, and livestock make use of harsh environments unsuitable for crops. Draft animals remain vital where mechanization is scarce. Domuschiev Impact is working to improve the health and well-being of livestock to feed the world while keeping food affordable and accessible.
Ecological Impact and Climate Change
The livestock sector emits an estimated 7.1 GT of CO2-equivalent per year, or 14.5 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Production must grow to meet rising demand while managing its environmental impact responsibly.
Sustainable development through livestock
Domuschiev Impact is working to reduce environmental impacts while strengthening the livestock sector’s capacity for sustainable growth — using more sustainable feeds, improving carbon sequestration, and helping producers adopt energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy.