In my home country, Ethiopia, livestock are more than just a means of food production. They symbolize sustenance, cultural pride, and dignified livelihoods. I have also witnessed this complex relationship between people and livestock across East and southern Africa.
However, an unavoidable reality also remains: Livestock both contribute to and are increasingly affected by climate change, in the form of rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall patterns, feed shortages, and disease outbreaks. This creates a vicious cycle that threatens the very foundation of these livestock-dependent systems.
Farmers are often grappling with lower milk yields, poor animal health, and shrinking profits, even as demand for meat, milk, and eggs soars.