Brazilian livestock provides a significant fraction of the food consumed globally, making the country one of the largest producers and exporters of meat, milk and eggs. However, current advances in the production of protein from Brazilian animal origin may be directly impacted by climate change and the resulting biophysical effects. Therefore, it is strategically consistent to develop measures to deal with the resulting environmental heat stress on domesticated animal species, especially the need in developing countries. This work aims to (1) evaluate the impacts of climate change on livestock (cattle-dairy, cattle-beef, goats, sheep, pigs, poultry-general) in different regions of Brazil and (2) discuss possible response strategies, associated with animal comfort and welfare. From our results, we can draw better strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on livestock production. The results presented show an increase of high heat stress in South and Southeast and an increase of extreme heat stress in North and Central-West areas of Brazil. The rise in extreme heat stress tends to occur mostly during spring and summer and tends to vary considering the different evaluated species. Within the evaluated species, the ones that seem to be more affected by climate changes are Poultry, pigs, cattle-beef and general (temperature-humidity index value). The differences between the results for the five geographic regions in Brazil suggests that different mitigation measures need to be considered to cope with future heat stress in livestock. To ensure the long-term success of Brazil's influence on the global market for proteins of animal origin, it must achieve sustainable production systems more intensively.

The objective of this study was to evaluate and characterize the dependence and the spatial and temporal distribution of variables and indices of the thermal environment in an open compost-bedded pack barn system with positive-pressure ventilation (CBPPV) during the winter period. The study was conducted in a CBPPV system located in the Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The indoor environment was divided into a mesh composed of 55 equidistant points, where data on dry-bulb air temperature (t_db) and relative humidity (RH) were collected. The collected data were divided into four periods—dawn, morning, afternoon, and night—and mean values were obtained. To evaluate the thermal microenvironment, the temperature and humidity index (THI) and the specific enthalpy of air (h) were used. For spatial dependence analysis, geostatistical techniques were applied. Through the results, a strong spatial dependence was verified for all variables evaluated. Through THI and h maps, conditions of thermal comfort were found for dairy cattle. The highest values of t_db, THI, and h were recorded in the afternoon period in the northwest region of the facility (t_db = 23.2 °C, THI = 69.7, and h = 50.9 kJ∙kg of dry air⁻¹).

In this study, we aimed to assess the spatial variability of microclimate inside a closed compost-bedded pack barn (CBP) with a negative ventilation system during summer and winter. The research was carried out in a CBP located in the Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. For each of the stations analyzed, the following environmental mean variables observed inside a CBP were measured: air dry-bulb temperature (tdb), air relative humidity (RH), and windspeed, Temperature-Humidity index, and specific enthalpy. The kriging maps showed that the most critical housing conditions in the thermal environment were found, mainly, from the central part of the CBP, close to the exhaust fans. The analyses also pointed out that the system presented temperature gradients along the length, up to 3°C. During the summer afternoon, the entire region of the CBP was in a discomfort situation (tdb>26°C; RH>75%). During the winter, the measured environmental data remained within the comfort zone throughout the facility. However, probably due to the lack of thermal insulation of the material used to close the sides of the CBP, it did not allow spatial thermal uniformity for both seasons. It was also inefficient to keep the animals within the comfort zone for lactating cattle during the critical summer period.

Climate change is causing an increase in global temperatures, with significant impacts on dairy production. This systematic review analyzes the challenges of new climate scenarios, focusing on the resilience and adaptation strategies of dairy systems. The PRISMA methodology guided the review process using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. After applying exclusion criteria, 30 articles published between 2015 and 2025 were selected. The studies included analyses of the effects of heat stress on animal parameters (I), socioeconomic parameters (II), and technological adaptation tools (III) in various geographic regions. Most research over the last decade addresses category (I), with a greater concentration in the Northern Hemisphere. The Temperature Humidity Index (THI) emerged as the main indicator of heat stress, associated with the physiological responses of dairy cattle. Heat stress reduces milk production, feed intake, reproductive performance, and overall animal health, often leading to increased slaughter rates. Adaptation strategies include genetic selection for heat tolerance, improved environmental monitoring, cooling technologies, and optimized nutritional and management practices, applicable to both pasture and feedlot systems. Despite being among the main producers, studies on the topic in South American countries are still scarce in the literature.

The main challenge in milk production has been to maintain a focus on efficient processes that enhance production outcomes while aligning with animal welfare and sustainability and being valued by society. As an alternative to improve cow welfare in production and provide better handling of the waste generated by the activity, the system called the compost-bedded pack barn (CBP) has been widely adopted in countries with temperate climates and higher milk production. This CBP has been attracting global interest, including from countries with tropical and subtropical climates, such as Brazil, where many producers have started to use it due to the response in terms of milk productivity. A CBP can be designed either in (a) an open facility with natural ventilation or a positive-pressure ventilation system or (b) totally closed facilities, equipped with negative-pressure ventilation systems and permanent thermal control. The latter system is being implemented in Brazil, despite insufficient knowledge about its efficiency. The objective of this study was, through a review, to gather and describe the most recent information on the use of open and closed CBP systems for dairy cattle housing, mainly covering how it is applied in tropical climate regions. To achieve the proposed objective, this review study included the following topics related to CBPs: (i) implementation, (ii) bedding, (iii) general construction and architectural characteristics, and (iv) ambient thermal conditioning. Knowledge gaps and directions for future research are also identified here.