MERLIN

The livestock sector plays a central role in food systems and in the livelihoods of around one billion people, and thus is the subject of plenty of interventions looking at increasing food supply and improving those livelihoods. Traditionally, most efforts have focused on increasing productivity per animal and/or per hectare and a range of technological options, now part of what we call ’sustainable intensification’ have come to dominate the research for development agenda. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize that in the pursuit of food security and further increases in food production, planetary boundaries have to be respected, making sustainability science targets a central part of the development agenda. However, little, if any, attention is placed on the environmental impact of these interventions. This increases the risk of unforeseen negative environmental consequences that could affect vulnerable people in the same region and across the globe.