Assurance of food security is vital in addressing many prevailing challenges in the world. Livestock plays a significant role in providing food products and many more services for humans and ecosystems. In this note, the importance of farm animals for better nutrition and for valuable contributions to ecosystem sustainability is discussed. The population of the world is growing at a rate of 2% per year which is the fastest in the history. The application of agricultural innovations and enhanced food production should be ensured to meet the requirement of exploding population. Crop production ensures food security in many instances. Similarly, the role of farm animals in food security is also important. Livestock plays a significant role in the ecosystems and. Livestock transforms feed into nutritious food, and useful products and interacts directly with ecosystems through grazing and the production of dung and urine. Thereby, it maintains the environment by recycling in the mixed farming system. Thus, farm animals actively play a key role in integrated sustainable farming systems, creating an eco-friendly environment. Farm animals contribute to direct food production and to multiple uses such as fertilizer, fuel, capital accumulation and other by-products. Further, farm animals provide economic diversification and risk distribution which reduce income variability and provide renewable energy for agriculture in developing countries. However, ecosystem services provided by livestock species and the consequences of different management practices of livestock farming are yet to be well understood.

Nayananjalie W A D (2021) Role of Farm Animals and Its Contribution to Ecosystems. Sri Lankan Journal of Agriculture and Ecosystems, 3(1):1-4.www.rjt.ac.lk/agri/ sljae/56-323-1-PB

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