Harnessing Neglected Livestock for Sustainable Food Systems in the Global South

In a rapidly warming world, the urgent need for sustainable livestock systems has propelled attention toward indigenous ruminant breeds and underutilized forage species across Asia. These native resources present a promising avenue for climate-resilient agriculture, combining adaptive traits with environmental benefits that conventional high-input systems fail to deliver.

Indigenous cattle and small ruminants exhibit exceptional ability to thrive on fibrous tropical forages, outperforming their exotic counterparts in digestibility and nutrient utilization. This superior metabolic compatibility points to a long co-evolution with local vegetation. Notably, tannin-rich legumes such as Leucaena leucocephala mitigate enteric methane emissions by up to 61% without reducing feed intake, highlighting their dual role in reducing greenhouse gases while providing quality nutrition.

Their integration with high-protein forages like Stylosanthes guianensis enables indigenous goats to achieve productivity gains while fixing atmospheric nitrogen, diminishing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. This synergy strengthens agro-ecological sustainability by improving soil health and reducing chemical inputs.

Despite this potential, buffalo production systems in regions like Sri Lanka remain markedly underutilized. Buffaloes, traditionally employed for seasonal draft power during rice cultivation, experience extended dormant periods with minimal milking, limiting dairy output. This pattern curtails the species’ inherent capacity to produce high-butterfat milk, prized in culturally significant fermented dairy products such as Meekiri. Although demand for Meekiri is robust, production stays small-scale and geographically constrained, impeding integration into formal dairy value chains.

These underexploited systems exemplify a “value paradox,” where animals highly adapted to low-input and climate-stress environments are insufficiently harnessed to bolster rural livelihoods or national dairy supplies. Addressing this gap could transform buffalo production into a resilient pillar of sustainable food systems.

Beyond livestock, the role of forage diversity extends to ecosystem services that amplify economic returns. For instance, intercropping forage legumes like Desmodium intortum with grasses enhances biomass yield and crude protein content while improving soil physicochemical properties. Such intercropping also suppresses parasitic weeds and reduces agrochemical needs through effective push-pull farming strategies.

Multipurpose browse species such as Gliricidia sepium integrated into agroforestry provide vital nutrition and bolster resilience in small ruminants, which selectively forage diverse plants to optimize nutrient intake. These complex interactions between animal genetics and forage ecosystems embody circular economy principles where waste is remobilized into productive inputs.

However, systemic barriers impede wider adoption of these indigenous resources. Challenges include weak breeding programs, fragmented seed supply systems, and policy neglect favoring exotic breeds and commercialized fodder crops. Overcoming these hurdles requires a multidimensional approach combining scientific research, policy realignment, and market development to unlock the full potential of neglected germplasm.

In sum, leveraging the adaptive traits and ecological services of indigenous ruminants and forage species offers a transformative pathway to build climate-resilient, low-input food systems in the Global South. Strategically addressing the underutilization and embedding these resources within value chains are critical steps to achieve sustainable livestock production and rural development targets.