Ruminant livestock species such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats are generally much more dependent directly on the environment in which they live for fodder and feed resources than are pigs and chickens. The production context is therefore much more dependent on prevailing environmental conditions than is the case with pigs and chickens. The context also depends on capital investment, degree of specialisation and whether they are raised on grasslands/feedlots or whether they contribute to mixed crop-livestock farming systems.