Nutritional Ecology of Pastoralist and Agro-Pastoralist Communities: Linking Livestock, Food Environments, and Human Nutrition at the Intersection of Health and Sustainability

The nutritional ecology of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities lies at the intersection of livestock, food environments, and human diets within fragile dryland ecosystems. These communities, often custodians of' rich cultural heritage and deep ecological knowledge, they often face threats from environmental changes, socio-political challenges, and economic pressures that disrupt their traditional livelihoods. Research has illustrated how these pressures affect dietary patterns, food access, and consequently, the nutritional outcomes in such settings. However, the literature is often fragmented, with ongoing debates on best practices for optimizing both health and sustainability.

This Research Topic in the Nutritional Ecology and Anthropology section seeks to advance an integrated understanding of how pastoral and agro-pastoral food systems operate under these evolving pressures, and how they contribute to resilience, adaptation, and sustainability in dryland regions. Key questions include understanding the role of livestock diversity in nutritional outcomes, assessing dietary patterns resulting from changing food environments, and examining the impact of seasonal and environmental variability on food security and health. By bringing together perspectives from nutrition science, ecology, anthropology, economics , and policy, this collection aims to foster dialogue on the complex interconnections between livestock, environment, diets, and human well-being.

To gather further insights in pastoral and agro-pastoral communities, we welcome articles that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

o Livestock management and its role in sustaining dietary diversity and micronutrient adequacy.

o The dynamics between traditional foods, market integration, and diet transitions.

o Impacts of climate variability and environmental degradation on food security and nutrition.

o Strategies for achieving food security amidst environmental variability.

o Gendered dimensions of food systems and nutrition in pastoral and agro-pastoralist households.

o Policies, innovations and interventions that enhance nutritional outcomes while safeguarding ecological sustainability.

o Nutrition Case studies illustrating adaptive strategies, resilience pathways, and lessons from diverse pastoral and agro-pastoral contexts worldwide.

Through this scope, this collection seeks to position pastoral and agro-pastoral food systems not as marginal or “at risk” but as dynamic, adaptive, and central to global debates on nutrition, resilience, and sustainability.

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
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• 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
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Pastoralist Nutrition, Livestock Management, Food Environments, Health and Sustainability, Agro-Pastoral Systems

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.