The Water Buffalo: Sustainability, Health, Behavior, Animal Welfare and Production

The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is emerging as a cornerstone species in the pursuit of more sustainable, ethical, and climate-resilient livestock systems. With its remarkable adaptability to challenging environments, efficient use of natural resources, and resistance to diverse diseases, the water buffalo offers significant promise for improving food system sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of livestock agriculture. As global interest in climate-smart and welfare-oriented animal production grows, innovative management and production strategies for the water buffalo are becoming increasingly relevant.

Recent advances in agroecological management, animal nutrition, preventive health, and welfare science are transforming the ways in which producers and researchers address the unique needs - and unlock the full potential - of this species. However, significant challenges remain. There is an urgent need to optimize feeding strategies, adapt welfare protocols to different production systems, and develop sustainable management practices that enhance productivity, safeguard animal health, and mitigate climate and disease risks. The expansion of water buffalo systems into new regions and changing climates further underscores the importance of research that addresses adaptation, ecological services, and the quality and safety of buffalo-derived products.

This Research Topic aims to present and explore the most recent strategies, challenges, and innovations in the sustainable management, health, welfare, and productive performance of water buffalo. It also seeks to elucidate the ecological role of buffalo in agroecosystems, the adaptation to climate change, and the value of buffalo products in emerging food systems. Additionally, the collection encourages discussion on integrating advanced technologies, behavioral science, and new perspectives in animal health and environmental stewardship.

We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Agroecological production systems and feed strategies adapted to tropical and variable environments
• Nutritional interventions and rumen microbiome modulation for improved health and productivity
• Thermoregulation, heat stress responses, and physiological adaptation
• Welfare assessment and behavioral studies in confined and extensive systems
• Disease prevention, emerging health challenges, and advances in diagnostics and therapeutics
• Approaches to reducing methane emissions and environmental footprint=
• Ecological services: soil regeneration, wetland conservation, and rural development associated with buffalo systems
• Human–animal interactions: milking, transport, and handling
• Innovations in dairy and meat buffalo systems and product quality assessment
• The functional and nutritional quality of buffalo-derived foods, including implications for food security and safety

We invite submissions of original research articles, reviews, brief communications, and methodological papers that address these and related topics, to advance scientific knowledge, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and highlight the strategic role of the water buffalo in the evolution of sustainable livestock systems worldwide.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Bubalus bubalis, tropical livestock, global warming, climate change, heat mitigation, sustainability, agroecology, mitigation strategies, climate resilience, husbandry, behavior, ethology, animal welfare, biosecurity, milk, cheese and meat quality

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.