Dairy Goat Production: Socioeconomic, Environmental, and Cultural Importance Across Time (1970–2022) and Possible Scenarios (2050)

Abstract

Inequality, malnutrition, poverty, and environmental degradation are some of the global challenges facing humanity. These are aggravated in the context of climate change (CC), envisioning as a utopia to guarantee food security without risking sustainability. Considering the increase in scientific attention on dairy goat production (DGP), we aimed to carry out an exhaustive analysis regarding the evolution of DGP to determine both its socioeconomic and cultural importance during the period 1970–2022 and its possible scenarios for 2050. Over the last half century (1970–2022), dairy goats (DG; 214.01 million heads) have shown an inventory growth of 182%, and this is estimated to increase by 53.37% over the next 28 years (2023–2050). While DGP increased 196% during 1970–2022, it is projected to increase around 71.29% by 2050. Notably, however, the economic value of DGP almost quadrupled (+375%) during 1991–2022, and the same trend is estimated for 2023–2050. Historically, Asia has excelled in both goat inventory and goat milk production volume. This research highlights the crucial role of both goats and DG in the socioeconomic issues in various regions of the world, as they most often represent the only source of income for millions of smallholder families, particularly in developing countries. In the face of CC challenges, goats in general, and DG in particular, show an exceptional potential to be considered the “animal of the future” due to their refined and sophisticated ethological, adaptive, and physiological plasticity under generally clean, green, and ethical production schemes, mainly in marginal contexts in the arid and semi-arid zones of the world.

1. Introduction

Since 1987, the UN has been driving initiatives aimed at achieving a sustainable future for all. Therefore, in 2015, UN member countries adopted 17 interrelated sustainable development goals (SDGs) to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, climate, malnutrition, peace, and social justice, among others [1,2]. Because the world’s population is projected to have reached 9.7 billion people by 2050, ensuring food security (FS) without compromising sustainability emerges as a major challenge [3,4]. This human census represents more than double the number of people that the earth can support; according to the Global Footprint Network, by 2024, humanity will be using natural resources 1.7 times faster than the regenerative capacity of ecosystems [5]. Overusing natural resources compromises the security of humanity’s resources for future generations [6]. As the world’s population grows, the predictability of climate conditions becomes more uncertain and erratic, so ensuring food availability, affordability, quality, and safety have become a primary concern for humanity. Added to the above is an exacerbating increase in socioeconomic disparities and effects on public health; all of the above becomes a real threat to environmental sustainability [7,8,9,10,11,12].

Mitigating the threats of hunger and malnutrition in the face of climate change (CC) represents another major challenge that threatens the fulfillment of the SDGs related to FS [13,14]. There are multiple interconnected relationships between malnutrition and poverty that lead to hunger, influenced by the limited supply and availability of food, both from a quantity and quality standpoint. In addition, micronutrient deficiencies in the usual diet have become a significant global health drawback, affecting billions of people around the world who suffer from food insecurity [15,16]. Various studies have raised the need to address the impacts and consequences of CC in terms of food losses. There is diverse information regarding the interaction among CC, food production, and FS; therefore, immediate actions are required to address the challenges of CC [7,8,9,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. Historically, studies on the impacts of CC on FS have focused primarily on agricultural crops, leaving aside livestock, forest farming, diseases, and pests. However, CC also affects animal production, which is an important component of FS [24]. In this regard, a global increase in the consumption of animal products, either meat, milk, eggs or fish, has been observed, generating significant increases in the global production of these foods for human consumption [25,26,27,28]. Given the increases in the demand for animal products for human consumption, it is necessary to recognize the importance of livestock as a provider of food, nutritional security, livelihoods, and income in developing countries [29].

Milk is considered one of the almost perfect foods in its natural form, as it provides fundamental nutrients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Easily digested and absorbed, milk becomes an important food for infants, lactating women, children, and the elderly [30], being one of the most valuable and regularly consumed foods by humans globally [31]. According to FAO, in 2022, while bovine milk accounted for 81% of global milk production (MP), goat-based milk only contributed 2% [25]. However, dairy goat production (DGP) plays a preponderant role in many parts of the world, not only from a nutritional point of view, but also from a cultural one [32]. In addition, in recent years, goat milk production (GMP) has experienced rapid growth, and a 53% increase in GMP is projected in 2030 [33]. This is probably triggered because of its undoubtedly high nutritional value [34,35,36]. Moreover, goat production (GP) is founded on a sustainable nature, particularly in marginal contexts of developing countries, based on the refined and sophisticated ethological, adaptive, and physiological plasticity of goats generated in the contexts of clean, green, and ethical production [34,37,38,39]. This places DGP as a relevant option from a CC perspective, as well as in the face of the challenge of FS, to comply with the SDGs. Moreover, DGP has a high biological, safety, and nutritional value, with important functional and nutraceutical characteristics [40,41,42,43,44].

In this regard, important studies have been generated analyzing the evolution of DGP in the world [33,40,45,46,47,48,49,50]. However, it is essential to analyze the contribution of DGP from multiple angles to measure its contribution in a more holistic sense and comply with the SDGs. This study aims to integrate a holistic vision with other economic, environmental, and socio-cultural components to generate and promote strategies aimed at encouraging a responsible use of resources, while fostering the sustainability of natural resources. In this type of global study, it is essential to analyze statistics that include the largest number of countries. Considering the above, after an exhaustive search, FAO statistics were the only ones that included the largest number of countries and years. When a lack of required information regarding PGD was detected in several countries of Oceania, a second search was carried out focused on the countries of this continent. To this end, various government and producer association websites were consulted. However, the information obtained showed greater inconsistencies, which limited the ability to carry out an analysis across time. Our research aims to highlight the importance of placing GP within global strategies to meet the SDGs. The last point highlights the high evolutionary potential of GP in the face of the devastating effects of CC, emphasizing the central role of both GP and DGP from an environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural perspective in diverse regions of the world [36,37,38,39,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59]. Our working hypothesis states that the arguments to be presented should reevaluate the role of DGP as a productive, sustainable, and resilient option to achieve a true FS in the face of the CC, and in parallel, to comply with the SDGs of the 2030 agenda.

2. Importance of Goat Production in the World

Worldwide, goats represent a vital component in the animal production systems of rural economies, offering an alternative source of employment to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers (SF) and their families [60]. In many regions of the world, GP is the only source of household income. In others, GP is a critical economic income against crop losses, thus contributing to FS, and promoting poverty reduction. GP ensures the livelihoods of many landless families, SF, and marginal livestock producers in rural communities [61]. In these regions, goats are also culturally important [62], representing the preferred livestock of producers due to their unique characteristics of ethological, adaptive, and physiological plasticity [34]. The last feature allows to goats to thrive in a variety of agro-ecological zones [61,63] and adapt to diverse environments, especially due to their great capacity to resist drought and water scarcity [64]. Some of these characteristics include short gestation periods, high fecundity, high prolificacy, rapid growth rate, remarkable feed conversion efficiency, greater resistance to diseases, adaptation to extreme climates, and efficient use of plant resources of low nutritional value. This undoubtedly provides important employment opportunities in rural areas [61,65]. Moreover, goat milk (GM) has been consumed for thousands of years by diverse civilizations since goats were one of the first animals domesticated by man around 6000 and 7000 BC [66,67]. Additionally, GM has been valued for its digestibility and nutritional benefits, making it an essential food source in diverse cultures [42,47]. This places GM as a central asset to cover the nutritional needs and support the economic livelihoods of millions of people around the world [47,61,64]. The last scenario has generated an increase in global demand for GM that, together with low initial investments of economic capital, low production costs, and rapid returns on invested capital, minimize economic risk and make DGP a profitable and sustainable activity for rural households [68]. Undoubtedly, goats show exceptional potential to be considered as “animals of the future” by generating rural and urban prosperity, especially in the face of the challenges of food insecurity framed in climate uncertainty. For this reason, goats become great contenders to comply with the SDGs [64]. From this point on, when mentioning America, we will be referring to the American Continent (i.e., the continent), while we will use the USA to refer to the United States of America (i.e., the country)

3. Geographical Distribution of Goat Dairy Production

According to the FAO, in 2022, the goat population in the world amounted to 1145.49 million heads (Mh), of which 18.68% corresponded to the DG inventory (DGI; 214.01 Mh) (

Table 1. Dairy goat inventory (millions of heads) in 2022 and its relation to the global goat inventory.

Area	Population (Mh)		%	Yield (kg h−1 y−1)
	Goat	Dairy Goat
World	1145.386	214.013	18.68	89.70
Europe	14.836	10.712	72.20	285.40
Asia	581.189	105.507	18.15	102.80
America	38.791	9.108	23.48	90.90
Africa	506.160	88.685	17.52	50.30
Oceania	4.411	0.001	0.03	29.40

Source: FAO, 2024.

). Europe (72.20%) stands out with the highest percentage of DGI, with respect to the global goat inventory, followed by The Americas (23.48%) and Asia (18.15%). In addition, Europe (285.40 kg h⁻¹) stands out with the highest yield per goat, which is 218.17% higher than the world average yield (Table 1). Further, important year-to-year increases have been reported, such as the one observed in 1990 of 14.07 Mh compared to 1989 as well as 9.25 Mh between 2019 vs 2018. If this trend continues, an increase of 53.37% is estimated to occur by 2050 (Figure 1). Historically, Asia has had the highest DGI. In 2022, it held 49.30%, followed by Africa, Europe, America, and Oceania with 41.44%, 5.01%, 4.26%, and <0.001%, respectively. During the last decade of this study (i.e., 2013–2022), the DGI increased by 19.35%, with Asia showing the largest surge (20.55%). Africa showed the second highest growth (+20.08%), followed by Europe (+16.54%) and The Americas (+4.09%). The only region showing a decrease in the DGI was Oceania (−6.41%) (Figure 1) [25].

The top 10 countries displaying the largest DGI (214.01 Mh) in 2022 were India (15.44%), Bangladesh (9.82%), Mali (9.45%), Sudan (8.87%), South Sudan (3.75%), Indonesia (3.54%), Mongolia (3.38%), Pakistan (3.36%), Nigeria (3.20%), and Iran (3.09%), which together owned 63.90% of the global DGI in 2022. Notably, from the top 10, six belong to Asia and four to Africa; the fifth country in Africa is Somalia (2.88%). Regarding to Europa, the top 5 DGI countries include Greece (1.06%), Spain (0.84%), Romania (0.57%), France (0.57%), and Italy (0.41%). Concerning The Americas, the largest DGI was shown by Brazil (2.71%), Mexico (0.36%), Haiti (0.31%), Jamaica (0.26%), and Bolivia (0.23%). Finally, in Oceania, the only country that reported DGI was Papua New Guinea with 1357 heads (

Table 2. Dairy goat inventory (millions of heads) from 1970 to 2020 and forecast to 2050.

Area/Year	1970		2020		2050 1
World	76.01	100% 2	213.89	100%	328.22	100%
Asia	36.89	48.53%	105.26	49.21%	154.37	47.03%
India	6.50	8.55%	36.32	16.98%	40.31	12.28%
Bangladesh	4.35	5.72%	18.80	8.79%	54.72	16.67%
Indonesia	2.60	3.42%	7.32	3.42%	10.63	3.24%
Mongolia	0.55	0.72%	6.48	3.03%	18.63	5.68%
Pakistan	1.94	2.55%	6.80	3.18%	13.34	4.06%
Africa	25.40	33.42%	88.63	41.44%	158.04	48.15%
Mali	2.20	2.89%	20.86	9.75%	48.82	14.88%
Sudan	1.71	2.26%	18.21	8.51%	27.39	8.35%
South Sudan	0.69	0.90%	8.49	3.97%	11.30	3.44%
Niger	3.10	4.08%	6.59	3.08%	15.83	4.82%
Somalia	7.84	10.31%	6.14	2.87%	7.70	2.35%
Europe	8.63	11.35%	11.07	5.18%	12.38	3.77%
Greece	3.09	4.06%	2.33	1.09%	3.00	0.91%
Spain	MV 3	MV	1.89	0.88%	5.02	1.53%
Romania	MV	MV	1.29	0.60%	1.03	0.31%
France	0.76	1.00%	1.18	0.55%	1.50	0.46%
Italy	0.80	1.05%	0.83	0.39%	1.25	0.38%
America	5.09	6.70%	8.93	4.18%	10.87	3.31%
Brazil	2.29	3.01%	5.67	2.65%	6.87	2.09%
Mexico	1.25	1.64%	0.77	0.36%	1.47	0.45%
Haiti	0.53	0.70%	0.62	0.29%	1.16	0.35%
Jamaica	MV	MV	0.54	0.25%	1.03	0.31%
Bolivia	0.35	0.46%	0.47	0.22%	0.88	0.27%

¹ Forecast for 2050 based on a time-series model using data from FAO (2024); ² Percentage values are based on world total; ³ Missing value.

; the colors used in the Line-Continent, are the same as those used in the Figures) [25].

The time series analyses of the FAO data for the period 1970–2022 generated a second-degree polynomial trend for the case of the global DGI, with significant R² values for Asia, Africa, and Oceania. On the contrary, Europe and The Americas showed a linear trend, which reflects the better performance of the “Inventory Across Time” variable. At the global level, a potential DGI increase of 53.37% is projected up to 2050, which surprisingly would be led by Africa with 78.19%, followed by Asia (46.3%), Europe (15.6%), The Americas (19.3%), and Oceania (7.8%) (Figure 1) [25]. This trend could be explained by the growing interest in the genetic value of native or autochthonous goat breeds, where the scientific community has highlighted a particular interest due to their environmental resilience, especially their resistance to drought and parasitosis [47].

The last scenario is of central importance in the face of increasing CC uncertainty, a situation that is exacerbated in most of the arid and semi-arid zones of the planet [33,47]. Although the Saanen and Alpina breeds remain popular worldwide for their high level of MP, a growing body of global research has identified other local breeds with important genetic characteristics to increase GMP. In this regard, there are several local breeds in desert areas that produce milk with a higher fat and protein content than their European counterparts (i.e., Saanen and Alpina), a situation that has revalued these native goats by GM industrializers. This reassessment is also important from a conservational standpoint because various autochthonous genetic groups face the risk of disappearing due to indiscriminate crossbreeding [47,69,70,71,72].

4. Dairy Goat Production: Main Global Trends

Considering the information reported by the FAO, in 2022, the global GMP (GGMP) was 19.2 million tons (Mt), which represented 2.06% of world MP. Undoubtedly, cattle and buffalo showed the greatest contribution to world MP at 80.98% and 15.43%, respectively. Nonetheless, it is essential to note that GGMP almost tripled its production volume in the last 50 years, with increases from 6.48 (1960) to 19.19 Mt (2022). If this trend continues, GGMP could reach 32.87 Mt (i.e., +71.29%) in 2050 (Figure 2). In addition, in 2022, DG produced almost 52.59% more milk than dairy sheep, despite having a 13.26% smaller stock [25]. Interestingly, GM, unlike bovine milk, does not have a broad culture of direct consumption; GM is used instead in the production of dairy products, which are usually intended for self-consumption or sold as traditional and high-quality products [73].

In 2022, GGMP (i.e., 19.2 Mt) was mainly concentrated in Asia (56.49%), followed by Africa (23.26%), Europe (15.93%), and The Americas (4.31%), while Oceania’s contribution was tiny (< 0.001%). In our analyses (i.e., 2013–2022), GGMP increased by 21.81%, and like the DGI, Asia displayed the largest increase (+29.92%), followed by Europe (+15.04%), Africa (+12.89%), and The Americas (+3.83%). Once again, Oceania showed a negative trend (−16.90%) (Figure 2) [25]. A more detailed scrutiny of GGMP shows that the top 10 countries with the highest production of GM were India (32.6%), Sudan (6.0%), Pakistan (5.3%), Bangladesh (4.8%), France (3.7%), Turkey (2.8%), South Sudan (2.7%), Spain (2.5%), Netherlands (2.3%), and Indonesia (1.9%) (

Table 3. Dairy goat production (millions of tons) from 1970 to 2020 and forecast for 2050.

Area/Year	1970		2020		2050 1
World	6.48	100% 2	19.18	100%	32.87	100%
Asia	2.57	39.67%	10.69	55.73%	19.75	60.06%
India	0.62	9.63%	6.26	32.65%	12.64	38.45%
Pakistan	0.18	2.72%	0.97	5.03%	1.43	4.35%
Bangladesh	0.35	5.36%	0.75	3.90%	1.23	3.73%
Turkey	0.48	7.43%	0.59	3.07%	0.86	2.61%
Indonesia	0.10	1.60%	0.36	1.88%	0.47	1.44%
Africa	1.52	23.49%	4.53	23.63%	7.77	23.63%
Sudan	0.21 3	3.20%	1.17	6.08%	1.90	5.77%
South Sudan	0.09 3	1.37%	0.54	2.83%	0.84	2.56%
Somalia	0.44	6.79%	0.37	1.93%	0.41	1.23%
Niger	0.16	2.39%	0.41	2.12%	0.97	2.95%
Algeria	0.12	1.87%	0.33	1.74%	0.78	2.38%
Europe	2.06	31.77%	3.15	16.41%	4.30	13.08%
France	0.28	4.30%	0.71	3.70%	1.03	3.12%
Spain	0.31	4.85%	0.52	2.73%	0.68	2.05%
Netherlands	MV 4	MV	0.41	2.12%	1.54	4.69%
Greece	0.35	5.36%	0.36	1.88%	0.46	1.41%
Russia	MV	MV	0.25	1.33%	0.22	0.66%
America	0.33	5.07%	0.81	4.23%	1.06	3.22%
Brazil	0.07	1.06%	0.29	1.52%	0.38	1.15%
Jamaica	MV	MV	0.19	1.00%	0.26	0.78%
Mexico	0.19	2.99%	0.17	0.88%	0.26	0.78%
Haiti	0.02	0.33%	0.05	0.26%	0.06	0.20%
Bolivia	0.01	0.17%	0.03	0.15%	0.04	0.14%

¹ Forecast for 2050 based on a time-series model using data from FAO (2024); ² Percentage values are based on world total; ³ Estimated value, considering that South Sudan was recognized as a country until 2012. ⁴ Missing value.

). Together, these 10 countries generated about 65% of the GM produced globally. The main GM producing countries are located in Asia (5), Europe (3) and Africa (2). The countries that complemented the top five at the continental level were Greece (1.83%) and Russia (1.22%) in Europe; Somalia (1.93%), Nigeria (1.83%), and Algeria (1.69%) in Africa; and Brazil (1.55%), Jamaica (1.03%), Mexico (0.90%), Haiti (0.28%), and Bolivia (0.15%) in The Americas. Finally, Papua New Guinea was the only country in Oceania to report a GMP of 39.89 t in 2022 (Table 3).

Regarding the time series analysis (i.e., 1970–2022), a second-degree polynomial trend was observed for the GGMP variable, observing significant values for R² in all the regions analyzed. Based on these data (i.e., FAO, 2022), a global potential increase (+71.29%) of GGMP in 2050 was projected. In this projection, Asia (82.12%), Africa (73.9%), Europe (40.7%), The Americas (27.9%), and Oceania (16.05%) stand out (Figure 2) [25]. Broadly speaking, DG are in the intertropical and arid areas of the world. According to FAO, these areas are mainly made up of low-income and food-deficit countries, where 61% of the world’s goats are located. DGP is linked to the country’s income level since GM represents a primary source of food. Interestingly, DGP also occurs in high-income and technologically developed countries [33,47,54,59]. Historically, the world average yield per DG (YDG) is higher than that of dairy sheep. Certainly, in 1970, the YDG reported was 85.30 kg per head (kg h⁻¹). In dairy sheep, the YDG was 43.40 kg h⁻¹. In 2022, the same trend was noted, with corresponding values of 89.70 kg h⁻¹ and 40.90 kg h⁻¹. However, is worth mentioning that such performance varies widely within and between continents. Indeed, in 2022, Europe generated the highest annualized YDG at 285.40 kg h⁻¹, whereas other regions displayed significant variations. Specifically, Asia, The Americas, Africa, and Oceania generated corresponding values of 102.80, 90.90, 50.30, and 29.40 kg h⁻¹ (Table 1). Such trends are undoubtedly determined by the degree of specialization of the breeds, the technological level of the farms, the availability of feed (i.e., quality and quantity), and the needs of the dairy industry [25,33].

Except for the average of Europe, the YDG is still low in the rest of the continents, and large variations are observed, which undoubtedly generates a wide opportunity for improvement. Regarding the dimensions of this opportunity, in 2022, the difference between the countries with the highest and the lowest yields was 832.20 kg h⁻¹. This is based on the average values of the Netherlands (i.e., 844.8 kg h⁻¹) with respect to Mali (i.e., 12.6 kg h⁻¹). In 2022, the top 10 of the countries with the highest YDG that complemented the Netherlands (i.e., kg h⁻¹) were Switzerland (630.4), France (593.4), Norway (574.3), Lithuania (490.4), Belarus (489.7), Ukraine (432.6), Austria (403.4), Jamaica (357.3), and Taiwan (346.6). In addition, Europe’s YDG was 2.18 times higher than the global average, recalling that Europe generated about 16.0% of GM in the world, with only 5.01% of DGI (Table 1) [25]. This scenario was undoubtedly influenced by the greater degree of specialization, commercialization, systematization, connectivity, and innovation observed in Europe [33]. However, the YDG values reported by FAO should be considered cautiously in some cases. In fact, significant variations were detected for some countries. During the period from 2013 to 2015, the official statistics of Greece and Italy reported an average YDG of 260.42 and 159.69 kg h⁻¹, respectively. However, the FAO reports significantly different values for the same period, with 147.5 kg h⁻¹ for Greece and 49.43 kg h⁻¹ for Italy [25,74,75].

Additionally, in most countries, official statistics do not include self-consumption or informal selling, as well as the use of constants to calculate DGP, which complicates efforts to quantify the economic value generated by goats. Indeed, DGP for self-consumption as well as a source of income in rural households is important in the countries of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and parts of Latin America [76]. In addition, GM and other goat products play a fundamental role in many cultures, where they are used as gifts, exchanges, celebrations, religious rituals, and even as organic fertilizers in various crops [33,77,78]. Although most GM is used to make cheese, it is also consumed in the form of whole milk, yogurt, and sweets. In this regard, in the United States and other developed countries, GM is consumed by people who are lactose intolerant or suffer from a digestive disorder. In Europe, it is mainly consumed in the form of fine cheeses, gourmet cheeses, and some with designation of origin. In China, a considerable amount of GM is used to make powdered milk [33,79,80,81].

5. Dairy Goat Production: Socioeconomic and Cultural Importance in the World

As previously mentioned, most DG are raised by smallholders and are not part of specialized animal production systems, making it difficult to truly estimate the contribution of DGP to livelihoods. Unquestionably, the input of DGP under intensive and stabled conditions is, in general, minor. Moreover, in some European countries and in the United States, producers of this type of industrialized schemes along with diverse research institutions are reconsidering the use of grazing, either grasslands or rangelands, to reduce costs and, in parallel, maintain natural behaviors, enhance the environment, and increase both biodiversity and animal welfare [47,48,82,83]. In the above, the type of climate and the distance to markets are central factors that make the use of DG grazing more profitable during part or all of the year when compared to feeding goats with total rations based on a mixture of grains (i.e., corn and soybeans), which also compete with human consumption. Moreover, considering the ability of goats to take advantage of more effective browsing than sheep and cattle, the food ethology of goats generates a plus to reduce the load of parasites [47] and, at the same time, decrease the possibility of fires [47]. Therefore, goat management in pastures and/or semi-intensive schemes (i.e., daytime grazing with night confinement) is of greater global importance in production units focused on MP [57,84,85,86,87]. DGP has been demonstrated to be an environmentally and economically relevant and socially responsible activity, as it is carried out mostly in marginal ecosystems from a biotic, economic and social point of view. These areas are generally accompanied with a significant water deficit, a scenario mainly observed in arid and semiarid lands [34]. In addition, while DGP is essential for many families worldwide as it represents the only source of family income, it represents an alternative source of income for others. It is also the only income against crop losses, thus ensuring the livelihood of thousands of families under marginal conditions, including biological, social, ecological, and economic conditions [60,61]. Furthermore, the economic, social, and cultural importance of goats is increasingly recognized, contributing to poverty reduction and improving social stability. However, more information is needed regarding the management practices of this activity, particularly the economic and social issues [88,89].

Although the social importance of DG is indisputable, it is necessary to analyze and dimension the global economic importance of DG. The latter could provide key information regarding the importance of goats, not only as a source of income for rural communities but also in their role in promoting sustainable development from an economic, biological, and social perspective [90,91,92]. In this regard, in 2022, the FAO reported a global dairy production value of USD 470,546.54 million. Bovine MP generated the highest economic income with 80.73%, followed by buffalo milk (15.30%). In contrast, GM only represented 1.94% of such revenues. However, the economic value of the DGP (EVDGP) has almost quadrupled during the analyzed period, denoting an increase of 375% during the 30 years analyzed; this trend was not even close to being shown neither by cattle nor by buffaloes. If this trend continues, in 2050, the EVDGP could reach up to USD 22,430.59 million (+375%) (Figure 3). It is central to note that for the EVDGP variable, the FAO only reported information from 1991 to 2022. This is in contrast to the rest of the variables analyzed, for which information was available from 1961 to 2022 [25].

As expected, in 2022, Asia was the main contributor with respect to the global economic value of the DGP (i.e., 66.61%), followed by Europe, Africa, and The Americas with corresponding values of 21.98%, 9.51%, and 1.90% (Figure 3). Regarding Oceania, FAO only reported the EVDGP from 1993 to 1998, with values no greater than USD 0.032 million; therefore, such a negligible contribution was not computed in the further analyses. During 2013–2022, the global EVDGP increased by 42.9%, with Asia leading with the largest increase (i.e., 63.17%) followed by Europe (31.53%). On the contrary, Africa and The Americas registered negative trends in the EVDGP, with respective values of −6.72% and −15.83% (Figure 3). In the case of the EVDGP variable, there was a lack of specific information. In 2022, the global EVDGP was estimated at USD 9109.50 million. However, at the country level, the information reported by FAO only considered 16 countries, which represented 29.11% of the DGP, denoting major inconsistencies [25].

However, even with the inconsistencies, our working hypothesis is aligned with the results obtained and projected in these analyses. Indeed, the results confirm the central role that DGP plays in maintaining the social and economic livelihoods in many regions of the world. Certainly, goats provide important advantages not only as a source of economic income but also by providing miscellaneous products with high nutritional value and high sales opportunity for millions of SF, particularly in the developing countries [60,61,88,93]. This is particularly true in several regions of the world where malnutrition is prevalent, such as defined regions in Africa, Asia, and South America, where GM tends to be an essential component of the diet [15,16,88,91]. In addition to its nutritional contribution, DGP systems are undoubtedly important drivers of economic stability and poverty alleviation, especially in rural areas where SF have goats as their main and even only source of income. Undeniably, the fact that GP generally requires a low initial investment coupled with the relatively high yields associated with DGP systems, make goats an attractive option for marginalized and low-income populations [68,88,93]. This undoubtedly allows goats to emerge and consolidate themselves as an attractive option in the global efforts to meet the 17 SDGs, especially those related to ending poverty, where the first three SDGs stand out (SDG 01: no poverty, SDG 02: zero hunger, and SDG 03: good health and well-being).

Another socioeconomic advantage of DGP is the reduction of vulnerability to economic shocks, considering that the sale of DGP and its by-products (i.e., cheese and yogurt) represent a steady stream of income, helping to diversify the economy of the SF. This is directly related to social mobility. In many developing countries, DGP contributes significantly to household income, allowing families to cover the costs of essential goods and services, such as education and health care [29,60,76,90,91,92]. Additionally, in many cultures, women are responsible for handling goats. This responsibility provides women not only with a source of income but also with the opportunity to contribute to the household finances, improving their economic independence and social status, as well as contributing to their empowerment. Indeed, the fact that women generate income and participate in decision-making is one of the strategies through which DGP helps to address gender disparities, thus promoting social equity [94,95,96,97,98]. Again, this empowerment of women is closely related to SDG 05 (gender equality) and SDG 10 (reduce inequalities). Furthermore, it is essential to emphasize that, fortunately, the positive impact of DGP extends beyond the individual and the household, as it has an effect at the community level. Certainly, DGP contributes to rural development by generating employment opportunities, stimulating the improvement of local economies [79,99,100]. In addition, DGP encourages the development of associated industries, such as milk industrialization, technical assistance services, and agricultural production, especially fodder, among others, thus creating a domino effect that benefits the entire region [47,61,64,101,102].

Indisputably, based on a sustainability scheme, DGP favors the conservation of the environment and guarantees the long-term viability of rural livelihoods, considering that goats are well adapted to various climatic conditions and can thrive in areas where other animals cannot do so. Indeed, the ability of goats to produce on marginal lands and consume a wide variety of vegetation helps the conservation of natural resources and reduces the risk of overgrazing and soil erosion [34,37,38,39,68,90,91,92,103,104]. Another fundamental feature of the socioeconomic importance of DGP lies in the influence it exerts upon the culture of many societies, highlighting its role in sustaining traditional livelihoods, culinary heritage, and social cohesion. In many cultures, GM is intertwined with traditional practices and customs, while playing roles in cultural identity and heritage. Both production and consumption of GM are deeply rooted in rituals, festivals, and daily practices, which often have symbolic meanings in cultural ceremonials [36,37,38,39,52,53,55,56,57,58]. In addition, the preservation of ancestral goat breeding techniques, as well as traditional GM processing recipes, are habitually transmitted across generations in diverse regions worldwide, contributing to cultural heritage and promoting a sense of community, belonging, and continuity. By maintaining traditional knowledge and practices, DGP strengthens cultural heritage, supports rural economies, and enhances FS [32,33,42,47,77,78,88,105,106,107,108]. These cultural facets allow us to build a new dimension, resizing the socio-cultural value of DGP, reinforcing the need to protect it, and promoting it as a vital component of global cultural diversity and agricultural sustainability. The precedent scenarios strengthen the fundamental importance of DGP beyond the purely environmental, economic, social, and nutritional scopes.

6. Conclusions

As reviewed, DGP plays a central role in the global effort to advance the SDGs, especially SDG 2, which calls for zero hunger. Indeed, DGP contributes significantly to small farmers and nutrition globally, which is particularly important in marginal and vulnerable regions, most of which are located in arid and semi-arid areas of the world. This is due to the great capacity for adaptation shown by goats, allowing them to not only subsist but even flourish in adverse climatic conditions; their low environmental impact; and the high nutritional value of goat milk and its derivatives. In this way, goats in general, and dairy goats in particular, are positioned as a key source of food. In addition to being one of the farm animals of zootechnical interest, goats are best adapted to face adverse environmental conditions, and goats are one of the oldest animals to be domesticated by humans. Moreover, DGP is concentrated in countries where goat farming is strongly related to socio-cultural features contextualized by a low availability of biotic and economic resources yet aligned to a noticeable resilience to face adverse conditions. When talking about the sustainability and viability of small-scale production systems, DGP can undoubtedly be considered as a trigger for socioeconomic development for millions of small farmers, mainly concentrated in developing countries. Therefore, it is central to consider DGP as a key player within global strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change, ensure small farmer livelihoods, and contribute to the fulfillment of the SDGs of the 2030 agenda, especially zero hunger.

In addition to the fact that goat milk has a high nutritional value and digestibility, it generates sustainable economic opportunities, with low investment costs and rapid return on capital, thus improving ways of life in diverse rural areas worldwide. The resilience of dairy goats to climate change, coupled with their great capacity to thrive in marginal areas, reinforces their relevance as a key component to address food insecurity and promote true sustainable development in rural communities. Indeed, the high capacity of dairy goats to adapt to extreme climatic conditions, parallel to their genetic potential to improve milk production, allow goats to play a central role in several regions of the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Here, goats serve as a key source of nutrients in very large populations with reduced biotic and economic inputs, where the greatest dairy goat census growth is projected to occur. Therefore, to enhance this impact, it is essential to know more about those native breeds with a dairy emphasis since they also generally display greater resistance to drought and produce milk richer in fat and protein compared to European breeds. Hence, it is essential to highlight the importance of preserving and promoting the breeding and production of these native dairy breeds to ensure the sustainability and genetic diversity of the genus Capra. Moreover, dairy goats also contribute to promoting sustainable agriculture in a holistic and ecological production format, allowing their manure to be used to fertilize crop fields and to control and prevent fires through forest grazing as another ecosystem service.

Although the share of goat milk in global milk production is relatively low, as compared to cattle and buffalo, DGP has shown an unprecedented growth compared to their ruminant counterparts, with close to 200% growth during the last three decades, especially in Asia and Africa, where it is an essential source of nutrition and livelihoods for millions of people. The projections made in this study indicate a continuous increase in goat milk, which should contribute to the improvement in the livelihoods of millions of small farmers, who are generally poor and marginalized. For this reason, dairy goats have become a key component to reduce poverty as well as to face climate change worldwide. In addition, the growing demand for goat milk products in local, regional, national, and international markets reveals that this sector has significant potential to drive sustainable economic development, particularly in developing economies. Undoubtedly, large- and small-scale producers must coexist to meet such an increase in market demand, as well as to provide employment and manage the natural resources in a sustainable manner. Greater investments in technologies and the gathering of reliable and accurate data are undeniably required to improve productivity and, in turn, maximize the impact of DGP on the eradication of hunger and poverty. This information should always be contextualized in low environmental impact schemes of production. As with any animal species, a lower environmental impact does not occur by chance; it is the result of evidence-based regulations, adequate financial support, community sharing, sensible incentives, and clearly defined outcomes, all of which are aligned with a market willing to pay a fair price for quality products. Hence, the challenge is to facilitate the transition and insertion of subsistence producers into marketing chains, with a focus on understanding and addressing of their strengths, threats, opportunities, and weaknesses. Indubitably, it is critical to adjust traditional models, or even more, to generate new integration marketing models. This approach subsequently allows the inclusion of diverse producers along with service providers, markets, and policymakers to manage economic, environmental, and social changes in the face of the challenges of climate uncertainty.

Other opportunity areas for future research to strength DGP include greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, the generation of cost-effective rations made from unconventional feeds and by-products, the development of novel thermotolerant vaccines and those able to differentiate infected animals from vaccinated ones, and the development of vaccines capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions coupled with genetic progress through molecular analysis. Special attention should be paid to the promotion of applied and innovative research, allowing the sector to be aligned with future production and market trends, as well as resizing the undoubtedly central role that women have within goat production schemes. In addition, the European model clearly shows that DGP can be modern, safe, and profitable, with high-quality products and global markets. Therefore, small-scale producers still face many challenges in generating a nutritious and hygienic product with adequate support, fair prices, and incentives. Addressing these challenges could enhance social, economic, and ecological benefits. This, in turn, should reduce the nutritional and food-availability gap, increase cognitive capacity, and enhance the development of human capital. The final goal is to reduce poverty, while increasing in a concomitant fashion economic development and the social mobility of the producer and his family.