How sheep and goat farming is changing in the face of climate change

  • The Challenge that Unite Us

    In the Brazilian Semi-Arid region, where intense heat and scarce rainfall shape the way people live and produce, sheep and goat farming remains one of the most resilient activities in family farming. As it is present in almost all municipalities in the region and responsible for 95% of the domesticnational goat herd, this production chain is an essential part of food security, rural income, and the permanence of families in the territory.

    With climate change exacerbating droughts, raising temperatures, and requiring new production arrangements, farmers are responding with innovation while aided by Embrapa's research. On this page, we present real solutions that are already underway—driven by science, public policy, and local knowledge.

     

Hardier and more productive animals are the basis for adaptation in the field

  • Breeding

    In a region marked by high temperatures, scarce pasture, and health challenges, herd genetics are no longer a distinction but rather a prerequisite for continued production. Building resilient systems in Semi-Arid Brazil requires breeding strategies that consider not only production potential, but also the hardiness and adaptation of animals to the territory.

     

  • Breeding

    Capragene® combines science, data, and partnerships with farmers to guide the selection of the most productive broodstock that are adapted to the climate of the Semi-Arid region. With SGR Mobile, farmers can record data on calving, weighing, and milk production in the field, even without internet access, contributing to genetic improvement and more accurate herd management.

  • Breeding
    Participatory Breeding Centers , on the other hand, bring the technique closer to the reality of the fields. They allow breeders to define selection goals, monitor results, and share breeding stock between properties by themselves. More than a genetic strategy, it is a support network among farmers who want better herds that are better prepared for the challenges of the Brazilian Semi-Arid region.
  • Breeding
    Good herd management completes this set of solutions, and Targeted Culling strategic decisions about which animals to keep or replace in the herd, considering productivity, adaptation, and reproductive performance. Adopting these solutions transforms vulnerability into efficiency—less waste, higher autonomy, and more sustainability in the field.

Food planning, precision nutrition, and accessible technologies in everyday life

  • Tech Products, Processes and Practices

    Producing with less water and fewer inputs in an increasingly unstable climate requires practices that combine technical efficiency with ease of adoption. In the Brazilian Semi-Arid region, this begins with forage planning and extends to the use of social technologies for water harvesting and bio-inputs.

  • Tech Products, Processes and Practices
    Planning herd feeding based on data is a decisive step in addressing climate irregularity. The E-Planfor software allows the simulation of different scenarios for forage production and consumption, helping to anticipate risks and reduce losses. The establishment of protein banks with strategic forage species strengthens the nutritional foundations for the livestock.
  • Tech Products, Processes and Practices
    To expand the food supply for animals, cultivars such as BRS Gorutuba corn, BRS Ponta Negra forage sorghum and BRS Mandarim pigeon peas combine high productivity, drought tolerance, and good adaptation to low-fertility soils—essential qualities to maintain food supply throughout the year, diversifying diets and optimizing land use.
  • Tech Products, Processes and Practices
    Technologies such as underground dams help store water underground, ensuring moisture for plants even during periods of drought. Bio-inputs such as Bacillus sp.-based inoculants, which increase phosphorus solubilization in the soil, and Azospirillum brasilense, which helps to mitigate the effects of drought, increase the production potential of the areas.

Producing while caring for the landscape and coping with the climate

  • CONSERVATIONISTIC, DIVERSIFIED SYSTEMS AND INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT

    In the Brazilian Semi-Arid region, sustainable production entails finding ways to combine natural resource conservation with income generation for families. Sheep and goat farming has made progress toward such a challenge by adopting practices that value the Caatinga region and integrate different production activities in the same space. Such solutions diversify production, reduce climate risks, and strengthen the resilience of rural communities in the face of future uncertainties.

  • Conservationist, Diversified, and Integrated Management Systems
    The Caatinga biome, with its rich diversity, can be a strategic ally for goat and sheep production when it is managed sustainably. Practices such asa manipulating native vegetation for grazing purposes make it possible to increase the supply of forage and restore degraded areas, reconciling animal production with environmental conservation. Such intelligent adaptation of the ecosystem ensures that herds have access to quality food resources even during critical periods of drought.
  • Conservationist, Diversified, and Integrated Management Systems
    Moving towards integration, there are emerging production models that combine agriculture, livestock, and forestry in innovative arrangements. The Agrosilvopastoral System in the Caatinga biome organizes land use into plots for crops, animal husbandry, and preservation of native vegetation, reducing deforestation and fires. Meanwhile the Sistema Agroforestry System for Smallholdings offers inclusive alternatives by combining crops, forest species, and animal husbandry.
  • Conservationist, Diversified, and Integrated Management Systems
    Based on intensive fish farming and nutrient recirculation, the Sisteminha production system connects vegetable, poultry, and small animal production, promoting autonomy and social inclusion, and fighting hunger. It is a small-scale, affordable integrated system that can transform urban and rural backyards into productive spaces with high food diversity. These solutions make it possible to transform environmental challenges into resilient production systems that are in line with the needs of local communities.

With reliable data, farmers make better decisions and suffer fewer losses

  • Climate Prediction and Land Use Zoning
    Planning based on reliable information is one of the most effective ways to reduce risks and ensure the sustainability of sheep and goat farming in the Brazilian Semi-Arid region. Digital technologies and zoning maps give farmers a broader view of the territory and climate, enabling more accurate and reliable decisions.
  • Climate Prediction and Land Use Zoning
    Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning –in the Plantio Certo app and web version– translates official data into practical guidance on sowing seasons and loss risks. It supports family farmers, technicians, rural credit, and rural insurance, bringing predictability to crops and livestock that are part of production systems in the Semi-Arid region.
  • Climate Prediction and Land Use Zoning
    In the Alagoas state hinterlands, the Zoning of Potential Areas for Underground Dams indicates where it is most feasible to store water underground. As a result, communities increase their water autonomy, cope better with irregular rainfall, and strengthen more stable and resilient production systems.
  • Climate Prediction and Land Use Zoning
    In addition, the Goat and Sheep Intelligence and Market Center organizes data on production, consumption, and trade, providing guidance to farmers, technicians, and managers. Combined with climate forecasting and land zoning, it creates a solid foundation for resilience and sustainability in the Semi-Arid region.

Access, permanence, and leadership with technical and institutional support

  • Funding, Technical Assistance, and Public Policy
    The strengthening of sheep and goat farming in the Semi-Arid region depends not only on production technologies, but also on public policies, credit, and technical support that guarantee access to knowledge and productive inclusion. By combining funding, training, and digital innovation, a favorable environment is created for family farmers and local technicians to transform challenges into opportunities for sustainable development.
  • Funding, Technical Assistance, and Public Policy
    In order to have public policies and credit lines have an impact in rural areas, it is essential to invest in continuing education. Embrapa offers free distance learning courses on topics such as Property Management, Bioeconomics in the Caatinga Biome and Agroforestry Systems in the Semi-Arid Region. Such training programs strengthen farmers' autonomy, qualify local technicians, and expand the adoption of technologies, connecting technical knowledge to public action.
  • Funding, Technical Assistance, and Public Policy
    Expanding access to information also involves digitizing technical assistance. The Ater+Digital – Goats and Sheep platform provides content organized by topics such as health, feed, reproduction, and management. Aimed at farmers, technicians, and public managers, the tool contributes to improving the use of Embrapa technologies, supporting production planning, and strengthening digital inclusion in Semi-Arid Brazil.
  • Funding, Technical Assistance, and Public Policy
    In addition to those efforts, AssessoNutri offers recommendations to supplement grazing ruminant diets. Using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), it analyzes stool samples and provides quick evidence-based diagnostics. It supports technicians, farmers, and managers in formulating more efficient nutritional strategies, thus expanding the reach of production policies, and strengthening the goat and sheep chain.

More than just a product: value, identity, and permanence in the territory

  • Socioeconomic and Environmental Performance
    Strengthening sheep and goat farming also involves the ability to transform production into social, economic, and environmental value. From the fields to the industry, the challenge is to generate income sustainably, while expanding opportunities for family farmers and promoting harmonious coexistence with natural resources.
  • Socioeconomic and Environmental Performance
    In the goat milk chain, Embrapa's technologies enable the transformation of production into high value-added products, such as cheese, yogurt, and sweets. Processes that are adapted to Brazilian conditions ensure quality, safety, and standardization, without sacrificing the artisanal characteristics that win over consumers.
  • Socioeconomic and Environmental Performance
    Solutions like the Goat Cheese Production diversify the portfolio and increase farmers' income, while the specific process for Goat Curd Cheese Production preserves the northeastern tradition, incorporating good hygiene and sanitary practices that extend the product's shelf life and reach.
  • Socioeconomic and Environmental Performance
    No campo social e ambiental, a metodologia Sustentare orienta agricultores e técnicos a desenvolverem inovações que fortalecem a autonomia local e integram saberes científicos e tradicionais. Com ferramentas participativas, promove soluções criadas junto às comunidades, favorecendo um desenvolvimento rural mais inclusivo e sustentável.

A Semi-Arid Region in Motion

  • The experience of sheep and goat farming in the Brazilian Semi-Arid region proves that climate resilience is possible, dynamic, and already underway. The technologies developed by Embrapa and its network of partners—in dialogue with local knowledge and the specific challenges of the territory—have strengthened more efficient, integrated, and sustainable production systems. By connecting technological innovation with productive inclusion and environmental conservation, this chain consolidates itself as a driver of transformation in the countryside, which can generate income, value identities, and cope with the climate in a smart and sustainable way.

  • The Journey for the Climate was an initiative of the following institutions.

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