Food safety-oriented climate adaptation strategies in pastoral dairy systems of developing countries: A scoping...

Pastoral dairy systems provide livelihoods for millions of inhabitants of arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) in developing countries. However, these systems are threatened by adverse climate change. Complex and erratic rainfall patterns, increasing temperatures, and more frequent droughts are not only reducing milk production but also exacerbating risks to its safety. This scoping review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed scientific articles published between 2000 and 2025, retrieved from publicly available databases, to examine the effects of climate stressors on milk safety in smallholder pastoral dairy systems in the ASAL regions of Africa and Asia. The review finds that the most commonly reported climate-related risks are drought (37.5%), rainfall variability and heat stress (30%), and flooding (7.5%). These stressors contribute to extensive microbial contamination, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., and Brucella spp., as well as chemical hazards such as aflatoxins and antibiotic residues which constitute food safety challenges that should be addressed within a One Health framework. A combination of technological, ecological, behavioral and indigenous approaches has been employed as adaptation strategies to reduce climate change impacts. These include solar-powered milk cooling, rainwater harvesting and borehole development, herd diversification into drought-resistant species, and traditional smoke fumigation of milk containers. Additional innovations, such as rapid on-farm diagnostics, aflatoxin biocontrol, and training of milk handlers, also show potential for improving climate change adaptation. Nonetheless, adaptation interventions remain fragmented, hazard-specific, and insufficiently integrated into broader food safety frameworks. These findings imply that prioritizing milk safety within climate adaptation strategies could substantially safeguard public health and sustain pastoral livelihoods amid increasing climatic uncertainty.