Abstract
Land demand arising from the consumption of animal products is one of the greatest challenges for future sustainability. Developing countries are changing rapidly in both the consumption of animal products and the livestock production systems. Mexico is used as an example of a developing country. An approach is developed to identify the production variables that drive the Land Requirement for Animal Products (LRAP) for beef, milk, pork, chicken meat, and eggs. An average medium-scale farm of Mexico is described using farm-scale production data from the National Agricultural Survey of Mexico. The results show that the use of grassland outweighs the use of cropland for feed production, and the use of barn area is least. The production of beef protein requires more land than any other animal product because of its large demand for pasture land. The use of grassland represents 70% of the total demand for land for food by the Mexican population, and this is mainly for beef and milk consumption. Population growth and changes to a more affluent diet will result in a demand for more land for food; however, there will not be enough land if food is produced with present livestock production systems. It is necessary to implement strategies to reduce the use of land for food by focusing on both production and consumption.
Highlights
The consumption of animal products is the main challenge for sustainability of the global food system [1,2,3]
To assess future dietary changes towards an affluent consumption, we considered a high estimate scenario for 2050 by assuming that the Mexican population will have an average diet resembling the present consumption in the USA (Table 6)
Chicken, and eggs, cropland has a greater role in the Land Requirement for Animal Products (LRAP) than has barn area
Summary
The consumption of animal products is the main challenge for sustainability of the global food system [1,2,3]. This problem will increase owing to the on-going dietary changes towards more affluent consumption mainly in transitional and developing countries [4,5]. Land demand for future generations can only be met by both improving production systems and reducing globally the consumption of animal products in the diet [2,3], or by shifting the type of protein intake, e.g., from beef to pork or poultry, or from beef to legumes [3]. Agricultural statistical databases [7] supply data on nationally available agricultural land, cropland and grasslands, and national domestic food and feed consumption. A detail analysis of the use of land for each food item is required
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
