Livestock Systems and Animal Products Management - UMR SELMET

Joint Research Unit (UMR) ES Department
UMR Selmet works on agro-ecosystems on family ruminant farms in warm regions. Such systems account for the major share of animal products worldwide, but the extreme constraints under which they operate are threatening their contribution to food security and environmental conservation.
Bouvier peul dans la région du Ferlo au nord du Sénégal  © S. Taugourdeau, Cirad
Bouvier peul dans la région du Ferlo au nord du Sénégal © S. Taugourdeau, Cirad

Bouvier peul dans la région du Ferlo au nord du Sénégal  © S. Taugourdeau, Cirad

In southern countries, 800 million people rely on animals for a living. Livestock systems provide 1.3 billion people with work. Livestock farming has been hard hit by climate and socioeconomic change, whose effects are having an impact on animal management and pressure on resources. Livestock production is also in the hot seat due to its adverse environmental effects. The challenge livestock systems face is therefore to reduce their negative effects on the environment while proving their capacity to produce ecosystem services and support rural development, in both economic and social terms.The UMR has set out to analyse the capacity of such systems to adapt and their efficiency and to foster innovation so as to help support change and promote more productive, environmentally friendly livestock systems.