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Livestock solutions for climate change











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    Document
    Low carbon livestock development in Kyrgyzstan
    Quantifying the future impact of the Regional Resilient Pastoral Communities Project on greenhouse gas emissions (Technical note)
    2021
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    This report presents the potential impact of the planned IFAD-funded Regional Resilient Pastoral Communities Project (RRPCP) on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, both in terms of the overall impact of the project, and as a possible input to the update of Kyrgyzstan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Previous NDCs have not formulated commitments to reduce emissions from the livestock sector, despite 85% of the agricultural area being used as pastures for grazing and 62% of the agricultural emissions coming from the livestock sector (Government of Kyrgyzstan 2016). Since the level of assessment in the NDC includes only direct emissions, this report also presents the overall impact of the RRPCP considering the life cycle emissions. It includes recommendations to mitigate the GHG emissions associated with cattle, sheep and goat production systems in Kyrgyzstan. The assessment was carried out using the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model-interactive (http://www.fao.org/gleam/resources/en/), a tool developed by FAO to measure emissions from livestock value chains and compare the impact of future scenarios. This assessment was undertaken as part of the FAO project “Low carbon and resilient livestock development strategies for climate informed investments”. The project aims to support IFAD-funded projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho and Tajikistan to develop and implement strategies that will improve livestock production while reducing the GHG emissions. Results related to NDC have been included in the 2021 report “Analysis of livestock and pasture sub- sectors for the NDC revision in Kyrgyzstan” by GIZ, FAO and IFAD.
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    Booklet
    Climate-smart livestock production
    A practical guide for Asia and the Pacific region
    2021
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    Population growth, rapid urbanization and dietary changes have resulted in growing global demand for livestock products, with a negative impact on climate change. Increasing temperatures, increased climate variability, and more frequent and severe extreme weather events are all threatening livestock production systems. The livestock sector is a major contributor to climate change, it is estimated that the sector emits about 7.1 giga-tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq.), about 18 percent of the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (FAO, 2006). Climate-smart livestock (CSL) solutions can contribute to a reduction of GHG emissions through improved livestock productivity, efficient use of natural resources, carbon sequestration and integration of livestock into the circular bioeconomy. Other CSL solutions focus solely on climate change adaptation. Livestock productivity can be improved either by increasing the output (e.g. increased milk production) or by decreasing inputs while maintaining the same output, for example by using higher quality feed rations. It is estimated that improving livestock productivity will reduce emissions per unit of livestock product by 20 to 30 percent. There are specific livestock feed products that can lower GHG emissions, but it is unlikely that these will be available and affordable for smallholders in Asia and the Pacific any time soon. Examples of CSL solutions focusing on the efficient use of natural resources include higher yields per hectare, higher water productivity, efficient use of low carbon energy, and the reduction of waste along the value chain.
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    Book (stand-alone)
    Five practical actions towards low-carbon livestock 2019
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    Livestock provide valuable nutritional benefits as well as supporting livelihoods and the resilience of families and communities. Demand for animal products continues to grow in response to rising population and increasing wealth, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In spite of productivity gains, greenhouse gas emissions from livestock are also increasing. Successful action on climate change through practical action in livestock agrifood systems is an urgent priority, but must not come at the expense of other sustainability objectives, particularly those relating hunger and poverty. Hence there is a need to balance the benefits of animal-source foods and livestock keeping for nutrition, health and livelihoods, with the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to tackle the climate crisis, which also threatens food security. The following five practical actions can be widely implemented for measurable and rapid impacts on livestock emissions: 1) boosting efficiency of livestock production and resource use; 2) Intensifying recycling efforts and minimizing losses for a circular bioeconomy; 3) capitalizing on nature-based solutions to ramp up carbon offsets; 4) striving for healthy, sustainable diets and accounting for protein alternatives; and 5) developing policy measures to drive change. This brief describes how these can be implemented in integrative and sustainable ways, taking account the diversity of livestock systems and enhancing synergies and managing tradeoffs with other sustainable development objectives. FAO can help by providing developing tools, methodologies and protocols for measuring emissions, and supporting the development and analysis of technical and policy options towards sustainable, low-carbon livestock.

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