Reconciling livestock production and wild herbivore conservation: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Conflicts between the interests of livestock production and those of wild herbivore conservation are an increasing global challenge.Addressing these conflicts is hindered by a poor understanding of key underlying social and ecological drivers.In particular, there is a need to reconcile the real and perceived costs–benefits of livestock–wild herbivore interactions. This includes better understanding how these interactions vary across migration ranges and are influenced by trophic network structure.In many cases, these conflicts are perpetuated by a disconnect between livestock husbandry practices and scientific research on sustainable management.Addressing these conflicts will require the development of reliable protocols for impact assessment and the implementation of participatory processes that bring together relevant stakeholders. Increasing food security and preventing further loss of biodiversity are two of humanity’s most pressing challenges. Yet, efforts to address these challenges often lead to situations of conflict between the interests of agricultural production and those of biodiversity conservation. Here, we focus on conflicts between livestock production and the conservation of wild herbivores, which have received little attention in the scientific literature. We identify four key socio-ecological challenges underlying such conflicts, which we illustrate using a range of case studies. We argue that addressing these challenges will require the implementation of co-management approaches that promote the participation of relevant stakeholders in processes of ecological monitoring, impact assessment, decision-making, and active knowledge sharing. Increasing food security and preventing further loss of biodiversity are two of humanity’s most pressing challenges. Yet, efforts to address these challenges often lead to situations of conflict between the interests of agricultural production and those of biodiversity conservation. Here, we focus on conflicts between livestock production and the conservation of wild herbivores, which have received little attention in the scientific literature. We identify four key socio-ecological challenges underlying such conflicts, which we illustrate using a range of case studies. We argue that addressing these challenges will require the implementation of co-management approaches that promote the participation of relevant stakeholders in processes of ecological monitoring, impact assessment, decision-making, and active knowledge sharing. The intensification and expansion of agricultural activities to feed an ever-growing human population is among the greatest threats to biodiversity globally [1.Godfray H.C.J. et al.Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people.Science. 2010; 327: 812-818Crossref PubMed Scopus (6037) Google Scholar,2.Ceballos G. et al.Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2017; 114: e6089-e6096Crossref PubMed Scopus (940) Google Scholar]. With more than 10% of the global human population currently facing food insecurity [3.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Sustainable Agriculture for Biodiversity, Biodiversity for Sustainable Agriculture. FAO, 2018Google Scholar] and an estimated 25% of wild species threatened with extinction as a result of anthropogenic drivers [4.Díaz S. et al.Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change.Science. 2019; 366eaax3100Crossref PubMed Scopus (460) Google Scholar], conflicts between the interests of crop and livestock production (hereafter, both referred to as ‘agriculture’) and those of wildlife conservation are becoming globally widespread [5.Kehoe L. et al.Global patterns of agricultural land-use and vertebrate Scopus Google et in agricultural of conflict between and PubMed Scopus Google Scholar]. conservation conflicts a to both human and the of an need to and sustainable between agricultural activities and biodiversity conservation [4.Díaz S. et al.Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change.Science. 2019; 366eaax3100Crossref PubMed Scopus (460) Google Nations The for Sustainable Scholar]. production currently for to of the billion and et for a PubMed Scopus Google Scholar]. global human and livestock wild et on Natl. 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