FAO unveils dual global initiatives to improve livestock sustainability and animal health

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has formally approved two landmark initiatives aimed at transforming the international livestock sector: the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation (GPA) and the Global Partnership Programme for Transboundary Animal Diseases (GPP-TAD). Together, the frameworks establish a coordinated blueprint to build a more efficient, inclusive, and climate-resilient agricultural system worldwide.

Approved by the FAO Committee on Agriculture, the GPA represents the first globally negotiated framework designed to guide livestock sustainability. While voluntary and non-binding, the plan encourages individual nations to formulate tailored national action strategies.

The GPA targets critical structural challenges currently facing livestock farming—including greenhouse gas emissions, land and water degradation, biodiversity loss, antimicrobial resistance, and zoonotic risks.

The plan centers on four primary pillars. First, it addresses food security, nutrition, and healthy diets by ensuring safe food access and promoting nutritional health. Second, it focuses on improved livelihoods and inclusive economic growth through stronger farmer organizations, fair employment, and better market access. Third, it promotes animal health via a One Health approach that enhances welfare while reducing reliance on antimicrobials. Finally, it targets natural resource management, climate action, and biodiversity by restoring rangelands and mitigating environmental impacts.

Comprising 17 strategic priorities and 85 targeted actions, the plan focuses on improving farmer livelihoods, enhancing animal welfare, reducing supply chain food waste, and strengthening feed management practices. FAO will provide technical guidance to help member states execute national and regional rollouts.

To tackle infectious animal diseases that cross international borders, FAO also introduced the GPP-TAD—a country-led platform representing a fundamental shift from short-term, project-based interventions to a permanent global public resource.

Building upon two decades of field expertise from the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), the GPP-TAD establishes national partnership hubs. These platforms unite governments, livestock producers, financial institutions, foundations, and private sector leaders under unified national frameworks. Regional hubs will coordinate cross-border containment efforts, recognizing that isolated national responses are insufficient against transboundary threats.

The program operates across five core intervention areas. It begins with progressive disease prevention and control to manage high-priority pathogens. It integrates digital surveillance and innovation to build real-time early warning systems using modern data tools. To mitigate crises before they start, it emphasizes preparedness and risk-based preventive action prior to outbreak peaks. During active outbreaks, it provides a coordinated emergency response system across international borders. Finally, it establishes robust governance, regulatory frameworks, and shared-responsibility financing mechanisms to secure long-term investments in global animal health.

Supported by a global steering committee and technical advisory board, the program operates on a shared-funding model that combines domestic budget allocations with contributions from global financial organizations and commercial partners.

Through these combined strategies, FAO aims to safeguard global food security while shielding vulnerable agricultural communities from economic and environmental shocks.

Sources:

FAO

FAO