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Experts at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the Convention on Biological Diversity have urged the inclusion of local and locally adapted livestock in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
Advocates highlighted the critical role of indigenous livestock species in maintaining biodiversity, supporting ecosystems, and combating climate challenges while calling for sustainable livestock management as an important part of biodiversity conservation.
Speakers, including representatives from the Center for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), highlighted that local livestock breeds are often ignored in biodiversity efforts. These breeds are key to healthy ecosystems and resilient food systems worldwide.
Patrick Karani from the African Union-InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) pointed out the alarming rate at which local livestock species are disappearing, with over 200 breeds lost since 2000 and 58 per cent currently at risk.
Local livestock provides numerous benefits, from promoting soil health to supporting plant diversity. Bernard Kimoro, Head of Climate Change and Livestock Sustainability in Kenya, mentioned that indigenous breeds are particularly important for climate resilience. In East Africa, severe droughts recently led to the loss of about 10 million livestock, with 90 per cent being non-native breeds. This highlights the need to preserve indigenous breeds, which are better suited to extreme weather and local conditions.
Additionally, local livestock are crucial for community livelihoods and food security. They provide income, nutrition, and agricultural support for smallholder farmers and pastoralists, generating 40 per cent to 80 per cent of agricultural Gross Domestic Product in developing countries.
Karani highlighted that in Africa alone, with a population of 1.5 billion half of whom live below the poverty line, indigenous livestock offers economic stability and food security.
At present, livestock management and biodiversity conservation are often treated separately, leading to missed opportunities for holistic ecosystem protection.
Sally Katee, an ABS research associate at ILRI, called for the development of biodiversity indicators in NBSAPs that specifically address the contributions of livestock.
She emphasised the need for indicators, especially in the Global South, that reflect the dual impact of livestock on biodiversity and community development.
Including livestock in biodiversity action plans would not only preserve local species but also mitigate methane emissions, a major environmental concern associated with intensive livestock farming.
Indigenous livestock, noted Kimoro, produce fewer emissions due to their smaller size and adaptation to local feed sources, unlike larger, imported breeds that require more feed and resources, raising emission levels.
The integration of livestock conservation in biodiversity and climate policies remains a key challenge.
The need to address policy gaps was echoed by Cargele Masso, director of the CGIAR Environment and Biodiversity Platform, who emphasised that sustainable livestock practices are a natural solution to land degradation and biodiversity loss.
Low-input, local livestock systems are better suited for African landscapes, where heavy reliance on organic inputs like manure from livestock naturally enriches soil fertility without the need for synthetic fertilisers.
Building this bridge between biodiversity conservation and climate action, involves all stakeholders, farmers, Indigenous communities, researchers, and policymakers to create community-based conservation models that empower local knowledge-holders.
Speakers called on governments, donors, and conservation agencies to prioritise capacity-building initiatives that strengthen the role of indigenous livestock in biodiversity conservation.
Karani recommended that the African Union provide leadership across its 55 member states to establish regional policies focused on sustainable animal resources. For many African nations, where livestock contributes significantly to economic growth, prioritising local breeds in conservation strategies is essential.
Donor agencies and civil society organisations, they urged, should focus on enabling Indigenous and local communities to manage and benefit from biodiversity, stressing that this approach aligns with poverty alleviation and climate resilience goals.
With global biodiversity facing unprecedented threats, incorporating local livestock in NBSAPs presents a pathway to protect these resilient species and bolster ecosystem resilience.
The speakers called for inclusive action from governments and international agencies underscores the urgency of integrating sustainable livestock management into national and global biodiversity frameworks.
They highlighted that biodiversity conservation efforts must align with food security and climate adaptation goals for a sustainable future.