China has almost 400 million hectares of grasslands, 90 per cent of which is regarded as degraded. Sixteen million people in North-Western China rely on these grasslands for their livelihood. Long-term use of these grasslands and the wellbeing of the people require changes in grazing practices, supported by policy change.
A program of research by David Kemp and Karl Behrendt, working with collaborators from Australia and China, has explored biological and economic sustainability of grassland livestock production systems. Coming from the program are evidence-based practices to improve grazing management in Western China.