The mapping system is the result of a collaborative initiative between FAO (AGAL - Animal Production and Health Division) and ILRI to develop a global, one kilometre resolution, GIS map of livestock production systems. The first attempt to map livestock production systems, at least in the developing world, was by Thornton et al. in 2002, based on a classification scheme developed by Seré and Steinfeld in 1996. This version includes more accurate and higher spatial resolution input data.

The global livestock sector is rapidly changing in response to globalization and growing demand for animal-source foods, driven by population growth and increasing wealth in much of the developing world. As well as the many benefits and opportunities associated with rapid sector transformation and growth, they are also associated with social, environmental and public health risks. There are huge differences in the ways in which livestock are kept in different places and what their roles are. Hence, we need to develop a good understanding of the differences among production systems if we are to be able to help poor livestock keepers take advantage of the rising demand for animal-source foods, help livestock keepers adapt to a changing and more volatile climate; minimize the risk of disease emergence and spread, not only among livestock but also in people; and to help all livestock keepers mitigate greenhouse gas emissions via a wide range of options. The mapping of the Global Livestock Production System is the result of a a long-standing collaboration between FAO and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The first attempt to map livestock production systems, at least in the developing world, was by Thornton et al. in 2002, based on a classification scheme developed by Seré and Steinfeld in 1996. This version (2011) includes more accurate and higher spatial resolution (circa 1 km) input data and updates the FAO-ILRI previous version. Main reference for this 2011 map is the forthcoming publication of Robinson et al. (2011). This new book provides references to the most up to date map of global livestock production systems and revised estimates of the number of poor livestock keepers, globally, within the different production systems. It proposes alternative approaches to mapping production systems that are explicitly linked to livelihoods, and reviews the ways in which intensive production can be accounted for. The book also underscores the areas that need further development. The FAO and ILRI continue to work jointly on several of these. Data are distributed as ESRI grids.