Ruminant livestock and environmental sustainability: challenges, benefits and mitigation strategies

Ruminant livestock, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats, play a vital role in global food production systems by converting fibrous plant materials that are indigestible to humans into valuable products such as milk, meat, fibre and manure. Since their domestication approximately 10,000 years ago, ruminants have contributed significantly to food security, rural livelihoods and agricultural economies worldwide.