Ruminant Digestive

Advanced Animal Science:
The Livestock Industry & How It Can Improve the World’s Food Population

1st Block
Green Day
Mrs. Zoglmann
The Livestock Industry & How It Can Improve the World’s Food Population A question that is always on anyone who is involved in the agriculture industry’s mind is this: As the world’s population steadily rises and more and more countries continue to develop, will the livestock industry be able to keep up with the demanding increases?? As of today, world agriculture has managed to successfully be able to provide for the world population and its continued growth. But will it be able to keep pace for the demand for food in the future, to provide for the world population, whereas many places are continuing to grow and develop? One of the most important aspects of this very question is whether or not the livestock industry, particularly the meat and dairy division, will be able to sustain an additional 2 billion people by 2050 (Clay). The livestock industry can and will be successful with the help of an expanding feed industry and crop industry, that will develop enough to assist and supply the growing livestock industry. Farmers cannot double their production of livestock by 2050 on their own. They will rely heavily upon the governments of the newly developing countries, for their cooperation to kick start their own agricultural industry. Even more importantly, the farmers in the livestock industry will need to be supported by input suppliers, such as fertilizer and feed companies; for without their mutual aid, the amount of feed needed to maintain the growing number of livestock necessary for the population will create a massive amount of debt for the livestock farmers. Rising feed costs have greatly impacted the livestock industry, and not in a positive light. Dairy farmers recently experienced a period of severe losses stemming from rising feed costs and reduced exports (Hofstrand). Beef cow inventories and production have declined for several years due to the economic transition to higher costs of feed being charged (Hofstrand). The only portion of livestock who have remained successful is pork production. Pork producers have enjoyed and upheld steady decades-long growth. However, it is anticipated that if adequate feed supplies are available at reasonable cost in the near future, a cyclical upturn in beef cow numbers and beef production, as well as dairy cows, can be expected (Hofstrand). The consumption of fruits, vegetables, sugar, and their byproducts are projected to rise rapidly in the overall caloric intake in the next few decades. This increase will help to balance out the need for meat consumption, meat that will be expected to be delivered by the growing livestock industry. There have been case studies performed in Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Ghana. All of these countries are examples of emerging markets from different parts of the world that have had varying success in agricultural development. All four case studies demonstrated the importance of government support for agricultural development, each highlighting the importance of boosting agricultural crop production (Fuglie). Trade is also a vital component of increasing global agricultural productivity. By providing producers with access to larger markets outside of their local and regional areas, larger economies can be utilized, enabling countries to expand food trade more efficiently. In all four case studies, the movement toward more open markets has enabled Brazil, China, Indonesia and Ghana to improve agricultural productivity. When it comes down to feeding a world population, you cannot rely solely upon the livestock industry. It is important to focus also on the crop industry, especially those industries that are developing in other countries; and also to look at the providers of the feed intended for the livestock, for without the proper sustenance, the livestock industry will not be very successful, nor will it expand and develop how it needs to in the next 40 years. While the challenge of sustainably meeting the needs of a growing global population is daunting, with the right set of issues addressed accordingly, progress can be made toward increasing agricultural productivity to tackle global hunger and food security.

Works Cited
Clay, Dr. Jason. "Agriculture from 2000 to 2050." World Wildlife Fund. Global Harvest Initiative, March 2010. Web Article. 1 October 2012.
Fuglie, Keith O. "Food Security." Expansion in Global Agriculture. International Agriculture, 2010. Web Article. 1 October 2012.
Hofstrand, Don. "Future Patterns of Livestock Industrial Growth." Agmanager. AgriSources, 2011. Web Article. 1 October 2012.

4. http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/365/1554/2853.full
5. http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/
6. http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/hsus-the-impact-of-industrialized-animal-agriculture-on-world-hunger.pdf

Cited: Clay, Dr. Jason. "Agriculture from 2000 to 2050." World Wildlife Fund. Global Harvest Initiative, March 2010. Web Article. 1 October 2012. Fuglie, Keith O. "Food Security." Expansion in Global Agriculture. International Agriculture, 2010. Web Article. 1 October 2012. Hofstrand, Don. "Future Patterns of Livestock Industrial Growth." Agmanager. AgriSources, 2011. Web Article. 1 October 2012. 4. http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/365/1554/2853.full 5. http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/ 6. http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/hsus-the-impact-of-industrialized-animal-agriculture-on-world-hunger.pdf