Common Principles and Actions for Sustainable Livestock Production

Sustainability means delivering for both people and planet

Environmental, economic, and social goals are interconnected and equally essential. ‘Triple win’ solutions that strengthen environmental stewardship, support farmer livelihoods, and improve food security must be the foundation. Climate action cannot succeed if farms are failing, and a food system is not sustainable if it leaves people hungry. Lasting progress depends on solutions that deliver across all three pillars. It’s why the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) acknowledges the interconnectivity of the global drive towards more sustainable societies

Livestock production is part of the foundation of sustainable
food systems

More than 1 billion people rely upon livestock for their livelihoods. Milk and dairy products, meat, and eggs play an essential role in nourishing people throughout their life, especially those vulnerable to malnutrition. Sustainable production means ensuring these foods are available, affordable, and safe, and those producing them can earn a meaningful living. This is particularly important in light of existing hunger crises, including the nearly 700 million who went hungry last year, and a growing population with an expanding middle class.

Livestock also contributes to a more circular, resource-efficient food system. Farm animals convert inedible biomass such as crop residues, grasses and seeds into high quality nutrition for people and return nutrients to the soil through manure. By-products such as wool, hides and skins provide natural resources for other sectors, while grazing animals enable food production on lands that cannot be used for crops. Our world relies upon livestock to deliver high-quality nutrition, support a resilient farm economy and reduce waste within our food systems.

Healthy animals are essential to sustainable food systems

Livestock health is critical for food safety, farm productivity, and climate resilience. Healthy livestock grow more efficiently, require fewer resources, and produce lower emissions per unit of food. Good animal care supports farmer livelihoods and a safe, affordable supply of milk and dairy products, meat and eggs. Improving animal health through disease prevention, early detection and treatment of illness alongside access to veterinary care is central to achieving environmental and social goals. Emerging innovations that directly reduce methane production, such as specialty feed ingredients, can play a critical role further reducing livestock’s environmental footprint. Yet today, only 0.01– 0.02% of climate finance goes to livestock health, underscoring the need to align investment with impact potential. Policies should work closely with farmers and the wider livestock sector to improve animal health and strengthen access to essential products like vaccines, diagnostics, parasiticides, and quality feed

There is no one-size-fits-all. Solutions must reflect local realities

Livestock systems are shaped by the land, people, and purpose they serve. A variety of cultural, geographic and economic factors influence farming methods, leading to systems that rightfully differ across every continent. Sustainability strategies must account for this diversity by prioritising locally designed and implemented solutions. While the path may differ, the destination is the same: a livestock sector that delivers lasting value for people and planet. Policies must be outcomes-focused and practice-agnostic as this provides space for innovation and local solutions.

Progress depends on continuous improvement, innovation, and shared knowledge

The livestock sector is constantly evolving through science, technology, and experience. This continual improvement is why production in many regions has become more efficient, producing more food with fewer emissions and less land use. Innovation, whether in genetics, nutrition, digital tools, or animal health, enables better delivery of economic, environmental and social sustainability. Reducing barriers to accessing new technologies and improving knowledge sharing helps to accelerate progress.

We cannot manage what we do not measure

Sustainable progress also depends upon better data. Livestock provide numerous essential ecosystem services that are often unaccounted for, such as nutrient upcycling, enhancing soil carbon, managing landscapes and protecting biodiversity. Critically important datasets such as animal disease levels often have significant gaps or are outdated, and some priority areas lack agreed-upon metrics and indicators altogether. There is an urgent need for greater investment in better understanding and quantifying the impacts of livestock on landscapes and food systems to guide evidence-based policies.