Towards Livestock Production In The 21st Century: A Perfect Storm Averted?

Abstract

There is a school of thought that future demand for meat and other products of farm animals is unsustainable for several reasons, including greenhouse gas emissions, especially from ruminants; standards of farm animal health and welfare, especially when farm animals are kept intensively; efficiency of conversion by livestock of solar energy into (human) food, particularly by pigs and poultry; water availability and usage for all types of agricultural production, including livestock; and human health and consumption of meat, eggs and milk. Demand for meat is forecast to rise as a result of global population growth and increasing affluence. These issues buttress Sir John Beddington’s impending ‘perfect storm’ of food shortages, scarce water and insufficient energy: this will coincide with a global population of about 9 billion people in approximately 2030.