About this Research Topic

Background

Climate-smart livestock production is essential for enhancing animal welfare, ensuring food security, and bolstering resilience against climate change as demand for animal-sourced foods grows. This field focuses on identifying sustainable strategies at all production scales, from expansive commercial farms to smaller operations. We seek original research and review articles that detail practices and technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing water pollution, optimizing land use, and improving animal welfare in livestock systems.

The sector faces significant challenges from climate change, including heat stress, water scarcity, and heightened disease risks. Adopting climate-smart practices—such as increasing feed efficiency, streamlining manure management, and utilizing renewable energy—are pivotal in creating more sustainable livestock systems. These efforts must integrate animal welfare to ensure the sustainability and resilience of these enterprises over the long term.

Our objective is to drive forward climate-smart livestock production by prioritizing environmental sustainability, enhancing animal welfare, and reinforcing resilience to climate change. We encourage innovative practices and technologies that address emissions, water pollution, and land use efficiency within livestock farming. Key areas also include adaptive breeding, effective health management, and utilizing precision livestock farming technologies.

In this Research Topic, we invite contributors to explore the following themes:

• Climate-smart feeding strategies: Investigating economical and environmentally friendly feed options.
• Advanced manure management techniques: Developing ways to reduce environmental impact while recycling nutrients.
• Adaptive breeding programs: Selecting traits that enhance resilience and productivity in changing climates.
• Comprehensive animal health management: Ensuring robust health systems to prevent disease and maintain animal welfare.
• Precision livestock farming technologies: Implementing technology for more efficient management of livestock farms.
• Sustainable land use practices in changing climates: Techniques that mitigate environmental impact while maintaining productivity.
• Socio-economic and policy considerations: Assessing the impacts of policies on sustainable livestock production.

We welcome original research, review articles, and case studies that provide fresh perspectives and solutions, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future for livestock production.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Climate-smart livestock production, Sustainable development, Resilience and efficiency, Livestock sector challenges, Climate Change, Innovation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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