Climate-smart livestock production: Where are we headed?

Exciting developments are taking place on South African farms where cattle are being turned into 'genetic experiments' for researchers, pastures are being transformed into carbon sequestration pools, and research is increasingly showing how the agricultural sector is not only producing food but actively helping to balance the planet's climate.

- By Susan Marais

This progress was evident at a climate-smart beef production workshop held in March in Pretoria under the auspices of the country's Beef Cattle Genomics Programme (BGP). Prof Norman Maiwashe, CEO of the Agricultural Research Council's (ARC) animal production campus in Irene, used his welcome address to elaborate on the BGP. The programme is a joint project between government agencies and the private sector launched in 2015. It uses DNA technology to improve genetic selection and productivity in the cattle industry. The programme is funded by both the state and the private sector, including the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the Livestock Registering Federation (LRF) and SA Stud Book.

According to Prof Maiwashe, the next phase will include broader partnerships, stronger international collaboration, and an increased focus on climate-smart livestock production. The aim is to help producers adapt to unpredictable environmental conditions. “What we have learned from genomics is that small initiatives don’t work – it’s the big ones that succeed,” he said, adding that the key to success remains “partnerships, partnerships, partnerships”.

Differences in greenhouse gases measured

Prof Linde du Toit, a senior lecturer in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Pretoria, discussed the work done in the Qinisa regional programme for agricultural research on greenhouse gases and climate change in Southern Africa. Among others, the research focusses on the development of greenhouse gas emission factors in South Africa, practical mitigation measures for producers, as well as animal nutrition and climate-resilient production systems.