The Benefits of Climate Finance for Sustainable Livestock Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

This policy brief argues that climate finance is significantly misaligned with the needs of livestock systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It advocates for reframing livestock as multifunctional assets capable of delivering 'triple wins'—simultaneous climate mitigation, adaptation, and socio-economic benefits—and provides specific policy recommendations for the G20 to unlock targeted funding.

• Livestock systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) provide critical multifunctional benefits across nutrition, economic stability, and environmental health. They support 1.3 billion people globally and contribute approximately 40% of agricultural GDP, serving as essential capital assets and sources of protein for vulnerable populations.
• Climate change poses severe risks to livestock in LMICs, including heat stress, reduced productivity, and water scarcity. A 2°C temperature increase is projected to negatively impact agricultural landscapes in low-elevation and low-latitude areas, potentially affecting the livelihoods of over 180 million people in Africa.
• The livestock sector is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for roughly 12% of global anthropogenic emissions. Methane from ruminant enteric fermentation is the primary driver, with cattle contributing 77% of total livestock emissions; additionally, abandoned cattle corrals (bomas) in sub-Saharan African drylands contribute about 5% of Africa's anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions.
• Climate finance for the livestock sector in LMICs is critically insufficient, with less than 10% of the annual $28.5 billion in climate finance for agriculture allocated to livestock. This gap is driven by a lack of data, complex measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) procedures, and a perception among private investors and lenders that the sector is high-risk.
• Strategic interventions in livestock systems can achieve 'triple wins' by combining mitigation, adaptation, and socio-economic gains. Examples include improved feeding practices to reduce methane and increase yields, silvopastoralism for carbon sequestration and heat stress management, and biogas digesters that capture 60-80% of manure methane while providing renewable energy.
• The document recommends that the G20 drive financial and institutional reforms, including the development of blended finance instruments to de-risk smallholder investments, the scaling of carbon credit standards for rangelands, and the update of climate fund eligibility criteria to move beyond a narrow focus on emissions.

APA

CRAMER, L., NGOME, D., AWOLALA, D., MBOLE-KARIUKI, M., PAUL, B., & WAMUKOYA, G. (2025). The Benefits of Climate Finance for Sustainable Livestock Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SAIIA_PN-17_Cramer-et-al_G20SustainableLivestock1.pdf

Chicago

CRAMER, LAURA, DAVID NGOME, DAVID AWOLALA, MARY MBOLE-KARIUKI, BIRTHE PAUL, and GEORGE WAMUKOYA. The Benefits of Climate Finance for Sustainable Livestock Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2025. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SAIIA_PN-17_Cramer-et-al_G20SustainableLivestock1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CRAMER |first1=LAURA |last2=NGOME |first2=DAVID |last3=AWOLALA |first3=DAVID |last4=MBOLE-KARIUKI |first4=MARY |last5=PAUL |first5=BIRTHE |last6=WAMUKOYA |first6=GEORGE |title=The Benefits of Climate Finance for Sustainable Livestock Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=17 September 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SAIIA_PN-17_Cramer-et-al_G20SustainableLivestock1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cramer2025benefits, author = {CRAMER, LAURA and NGOME, DAVID and AWOLALA, DAVID and MBOLE-KARIUKI, MARY and PAUL, BIRTHE and WAMUKOYA, GEORGE}, title = {{The Benefits of Climate Finance for Sustainable Livestock Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SAIIA_PN-17_Cramer-et-al_G20SustainableLivestock1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }