Scientific Advances in Climate-Resilient Livestock Production with Emphasis on Sustainability: A Review

Abstract

Livestock production systems face mounting vulnerability due to climate change, marked by rising temperatures, declining feed and forage quality, water scarcity, and shifting disease dynamics that threaten food security and farmer livelihoods. Advances in genetics, nutrition, biotechnology, housing, and renewable energy integration present pathways for resilience and sustainability. Breeding strategies emphasizing heat tolerance and disease resistance, alongside the conservation and use of indigenous livestock, enhance adaptive potential. Nutritional interventions such as climate-resilient forages, methane-reducing feed additives, and antioxidant supplementation support animal performance under stress. Housing innovations with climate-smart architecture, shading, ventilation, and automated cooling minimize heat load, while precision livestock farming tools using sensors, IoT, and data analytics facilitate real-time welfare and productivity monitoring. Low-emission solutions including biogas digesters, silvopastoral systems, and precision feeding reduce greenhouse gas outputs while improving resource efficiency. Integrating renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and biogas, alongside artificial intelligence for climate risk prediction and blockchain for transparent supply chains, ensures efficiency and traceability. Socio-economic enablers capacity building, supportive policies, institutional frameworks, and international cooperation create conditions for adoption of climate-smart practices. Evidence from case studies highlights that combining indigenous knowledge with modern innovations enhances sustainability, lowers vulnerability, and protects livelihoods. Achieving climate-resilient livestock production requires a holistic integration of technological innovation, ecological approaches, and socio-economic strategies to secure sustainable sectoral growth under changing climatic realities.