This short review is authored by Hamed Kioumarsi, a member of the editorial board at Springer Nature, and co-author Zary Shariman Yahaya from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). It is partly based on research projects conducted by Hamed Kioumarsi and Zary Shariman Yahaya in Southeast Asia between 2007 and 2012.

Citation: Kioumarsi, H., & Shariman Yahaya, Z. (2025).Goat farming and climate change. Springer Nature Communities. https://communities.springernature.com/posts/goat-farming-and-climate-change

Introduction

Small ruminants are very important livestock to smallholder farmers in the developing countries of the world. Goats are considered to be very important for contribution to the development of rural zones. However, the most important problems in meat goat industry are nutrition and parasite control. Additionally, climate change is a critical issue that must be considered in our industries, businesses, and daily lives—particularly in agriculture and animal farming. Goats are affected by climate change and also contribute to greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions through enteric methane and manure handling. Ruminant animals contribute a significant share of anthropogenic methane and nitrous oxide, and global assessments have recognized livestock as one of the major options with mitigation potential. Most research has focused on cattle to date, but attention is increasingly being given to small ruminants (sheep and goats).

Adaptation strength and vulnerability

Several reports say that goats are relatively heat-resistant and more tolerant than cattle in arid and semiarid climates, typically tolerating feed and water stress better and sustaining life where other animals die. This flexibility places goats as a critical adaptation strategy for pastoralists confronted with increasing drought and heat stress. Climate-related stresses can still compromise reproduction, growth, and milk yield, particularly by intensively managed breeds ill-adapted to stressful situations.

Goat farming

Goats are a cause of GHG emissions mainly by enteric methane due to ruminal fermentation and secondarily by manure management (methane and nitrous oxide). Global and regional research estimate that small ruminants (sheep and goats) represent an important share of livestock emissions, but species-specific partitioning and emission factors for goats are less clear than for cattle.

Nutrition

Techniques such as fat supplement, forages with tannin, nitrate supplement and other recent additives have lowered enteric methane in experimental trials in ruminants; there is promising evidence for goats but further goat trials are needed. Enhancing the productivity per unit output quality of feed also reduces emission intensity.

Management

Enhanced herd health, reproduction, and selective feeding increases productivity and reduces emissions per unit of milk or meat. For pastoral goat production systems, lower mortality rates and better growth are the key mitigation levers.

Breeding

Genetically breeding more efficient animals or fewer methane-producing animals is a long-term prospect; however, selection schemes for goats are not as advanced as those for cattle and require expenditure on measurement infrastructure.

Role of goat adaptation in vulnerable communities

Goats are at the center of livelihoods in marginal areas and tend to serve as a buffer to climate shocks by their resilience: goats will eat thin, woody cover, require less water and feed inputs, and be more easily mobile or sellable during crises. It is seen in reports and case studies that pastoralists increasingly favor goats over cattle in certain regions as a climate adaptation. But livelihood resilience depends upon access to grazing land, veterinary services, and markets—resources that could be stressed by climate change.

What we need

Missing are: (1) robust goat-specific production system and regional emission factors; (2) further trials of mitigation additives and feed interventions for pastoral and smallholder systems; (3) socio-economic studies on adoption barriers of adaptation; and (4) synoptic studies that consider adaptation-mitigation-biodiversity-livelihoods trade-offs. Criticisms of high-level livestock emission reports in recent times also emphasize the need for open methods and transparent baselines that do not change when comparing mitigation scenarios.

Recommendations

Encourage farmers and stakeholders in the goat industry to adopt environmentally friendly practices that promote sustainable production. Promote mixed adaptation–mitigation policies that protect pastoral mobility and grazing rights while enhancing productivity incentives and improving manure management. Invest in extension services and market access to motivate smallholders to adopt practices that lower emission intensity and boost resilience. Goats will remain vital components of resilient livestock systems across most climate-stressed regions; although they play an important role in adaptation due to their resilience to adversity, their greenhouse gas contributions require better accounting and context-specific mitigation. Bridging knowledge gaps, particularly concerning goat-specific drivers and tailored mitigation strategies, will enable policies that simultaneously advance livelihoods and climate goals.

References

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