Livestock systems contribute to the livelihoods of a large part of the world’s population, including the most vulnerable. The rapid growth of global population and income is making the demand for animal products stronger than the other food items. According to the joint OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, livestock production in low and middle-income countries will increase by 74 percent over the next decade, while global animal population will increase by around 50 percent by 2050. This global trend is expected to accelerate investments in the livestock sector, increase the international trade of animal inputs and products, and generate new opportunities for farmers and producers to raise their incomes.

Despite their key role in addressing global food security and promoting economic growth, if not sustainably managed livestock systems contribute to climate change and put ecosystems, biodiversity and the environment at risk. That is why improving the use of natural resources and making livestock systems more sustainable has become a global urge. In 2012, FAO established the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (FAO LEAP), a multi-stakeholder initiative and global forum, where policy makers, farmers, producers, civil society and non-governmental organizations from all over the world can strengthen their dialogue with the international community and contribute to the development of harmonized guidelines that assess the environmental performance of the livestock sector worldwide.

In March 2021, FAO LEAP partners called for an extension of the Partnership for an additional three-year period to foster evidence-based climate actions and to establish a common framework to further assess the environmental impacts of livestock. With the launch of this new phase called “LEAP4”, livestock stakeholders from all over the world have now the opportunity to take appropriate actions to improve the impact of the livestock sector on climate and the environment. The fourth phase of FAO LEAP focuses on the development of new thematic guidelines and analysis linking livestock systems to other critical topics ranging from ecosystem services, resilience and adaptation to climate change and circular bio-economy.

LEAP4’s work programme puts a strong emphasis on capacity development. From 2022 to 2024, FAO LEAP will complete the development of a Navigator to facilitate access to the information contained in the different guidelines. The development of e-learning courses and organization of regional workshops are also part of LEAP4’s programme and will strengthen capacity and knowledge sharing between different livestock stakeholders at the national and regional levels.

FAO LEAP plays a leading role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the targets of the Paris Agreement. As more and more countries have started implementing livestock specific mitigation and adaptation measures to respond to climate change, the use of FAO LEAP guidelines accelerates the sustainable development of livestock supply chains and coherent climate actions.

FAO LEAP operates thanks to the financial contributions of its partners. A fundraising campaign is currently being undertaken to support LEAP 4’s work plan.