Osvaldo Sala, Director, Global Drylands Center, in his recent study in PNAS, Global destocking of extensive livestock: An overlooked trend with Earth system consequences, shares that while overgrazing remains a concern, many regions are experiencing the opposite trend -- "destocking," or declining livestock numbers.
In fact, livestock populations have dropped by about 12% over the past 25 years in regions that once held nearly half of the world's grazing animals.
Sala’s work emphasizes that destocking is not simply a positive reversal of overgrazing. Reduced grazing can lead to increased wildfire risk due to accumulated plant biomass and can shift biodiversity in unpredictable ways.
At the same time, the study points to opportunities. Less grazing pressure may enhance carbon storage and support climate mitigation, but outcomes vary widely by region.
Sala argues that both overgrazing and destocking need active management, calling for better data and policies that reflect local ecological and economic conditions rather than one-size-fits-all assumptions.