Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability (2015) / Chapter Skim
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1 Introduction: Overview of the Challenges Facing the Animal Agriculture Enterprise
1 Introduction: Overview of the Challenges Facing the Animal Agriculture Enterprise
Pages 19-50
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From page 19... ...
These disciplines are generally housed in departments focused on conventional animal sciences, animal husbandry, food sciences, dairy husbandry, poultry husbandry, veterinary science, veterinary medicine, and agricultural economics. As defined by the 1996 World Food Summit, food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (FAO, 1996)
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animal agricultural research enterprise will have difficulty meeting the expected demand for animal food products in 2050. BOX 1-1 Selected Challenges to Meeting Sustainable Animal Agriculture by 2050 • Growth in demand for animal protein due to: • Population growth • Increasing global affluence • Increase in per capita animal protein intake • Impact of global environmental change on: • Climate • Habitats • Animal feedstocks • Water and land scarcity • Changes in consumer preferences • Changes in national and international regulatory requirements reflecting public concerns about animal agriculture practices • Role of trade barriers and other governmental actions on animal agriculture in different regions of the world • Health considerations, such as emerging infectious diseases and foodborne pathogens • Lack of research funding in the future
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food animal production value back into publicly funded animal science research. Worldwide, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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Aquaculture also critically contributes to the world's food supply, and demand continues to increase as incomes rise. The FAO reports that over the past five decades, the world fish food supply has outpaced global population growth and has come to constitute an important source of nutritious food and animal protein for much of the world's population (FAO, 2014)
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Animal science research has improved animal productivity and thus decreased the costs of animal products to consumers, increased food safety and food security, decreased environmental impacts of livestock and poultry production, and addressed public concerns about animal welfare. Despite the demonstrated importance of animal agricultural research to current global food security, the field faces several significant impediments that limit the ability to sustainably increase productivity to meet future global demand.
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and global environmental change will drive complex agricultural decisions that affect research needs. Third, current and foreseeable rapid advances in basic biological sciences provide an unparalleled opportunity to maximize the yield of investments in animal science R&D (Figure 11; Research, Education and Economics Task Force, 2004)
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, industry, and federal agencies providing their perspectives on the need for animal science research. Presenters at the May meeting represented academia, NGOs, and federal agencies, and addressed such topics as ethical considerations in animal science research, sustainable aquaculture, funding equity for the field, and the impact of climate change on animal agriculture.
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The committee's task was not to set out research directions for studies on the social and policy effects of animal food production per se, but to make recommendations specifically for animal science research. Also, the expertise of the committee members did not allow for specific recommendations to be made about the highest-priority social sciences research topics.
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emissions, whereas in developing countries, public health issues, food security, undernutrition, and adaptation to climate change take priority. For perhaps a billion people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and other developing areas, the raising of food animals fulfills a social need beyond the provision of food (Herrero and Thornton, 2013; Herrero et al., 2013a)
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In this introductory chapter, the committee explores the role of research in understanding and meeting global food demand, and broadly discusses the role of sustainability and of systems approaches in considering animal science research needs. Major uncertainties, potential opportunities, and likely hindrances related to research needs for animal agriculture are briefly reviewed.
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Responsive sustainability requires agriculture to be sufficiently vibrant and resilient in the face of crises and opportunities in other sectors of the economy, including global climate change. This third heading of responsive sustainability requires that agriculture, including animal production systems, must be sufficiently dynamic and flexible to respond to crises in other societal sectors.
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BOX 1-2 Broad Implications of Animal Protein Availability: Impact on Endangered Species and Bushmeat Hunting Overfishing off the west coast of Africa leading to price increases for fish in local markets has been causally associated with an increase in bushmeat hunting (Brashares et al., 2004)
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Animal agriculture also has implications for global environmental change, which refers to the totality of changes, both natural and anthropogenic in origin, under way in the earth system, from ecosystems to climate change. Animal agriculture affects these changes, in some cases significantly, and must adapt to them in order to provide the quantity and affordability level of animal products expected by society.
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Research has also been of importance in mitigating the threats to land, water, and health caused by wastes and to other concerns, such as animal welfare associated with concentrated animal feeding operations; however, these issues persist and are the cause of increasing consumer concerns. Because of the multiple roles of food animals in the developing world, incentives for sustainable intensification may also include minimizing the costs of animal protein production as a way to maintain an effective food animal population.
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A third premise is that food security requires altering business-as-usual practices, because environmental sustainability is as important to this goal as raising agricultural productivity. Fourth, although SI is a goal to be attained, it does not specify the means through which it can be reached.
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, and a report by FAO has acknowledged that "intensification -- in terms of increased productivity both in food animal production and in feed crop agriculture -- can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and pasture degradation" (Steinfeld et al., 2006)
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. By the end of this decade, poultry meat production is projected to overtake pork production, making poultry the number one animal protein source globally.
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Consumption growth in developed countries will be slower than that of the developing countries, but in absolute terms, at 69 kg per capita, will remain more than double that in developing countries by the end of the projection period." • "Meat trade is projected to grow slower than in the past decade and in global terms just over 10.6 percent of meat output will be traded. The most significant import demand growth originates from Asia, which represents the greatest share of additional imports for all meat types."
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INTRODUCTION 37 TABLE 1-1 Past and Future Aggregate Production and Consumption for Meat Products. Production Consumption Rates, % Rates, % Growth Growth Annual Annual tonnes tonnes 1,000 1,000 2005/2007 2005/2007 2005/2007 2005/2007 1961-2007 1991-2007 1961-2007 1991-2007 2005/2007 2005/2007 2030 2050 2030 2050 World Bovine 63,583 1.5 0.9 1.3 1.2 62,321 1.5 0.9 1.3 1.2 Ovine 12,876 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 12,670 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.5 Pig meat 99,917 3.1 2.3 1.2 0.8 99,644 3.1 2.3 1.2 0.8 Poultry 5.2 4.4 2.1 1.8 81,545 5.1 4.4 2.1 1.8 meat 81,994 Total meat 258,370 2.9 2.4 1.5 1.3 256,179 2.9 2.5 1.6 1.3 Developing countries Bovine 34,122 2.9 3.0 2.0 1.8 31,975 3.1 2.7 2.2 1.9 Ovine 9,462 3.1 3.4 1.9 1.7 9,695 3.3 3.3 2.0 1.8 Pig meat 60,483 5.7 3.7 1.5 1.1 60,584 5.6 3.7 1.6 1.1 excl.
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Social Considerations for Animal Agriculture It is becoming increasingly apparent that for research advances in animal productivity to be useful, consideration must be given to the social norms of the communities and countries in which they are to be applied. Studies have indicated that there are a host of issues beyond food safety and quality that influence the acceptability, and hence the
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, corporate social responsibility and business ethics, food security, agricultural and food traditions, naturalness of food products, and the use of biotechnology in food production (NRC, 2010; Anthony, 2012; Niles, 2013; Lister et al., 2014)
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. THE ROLE OF AND NEED FOR R&D IN ANIMAL SCIENCES Advances in animal agriculture have been a result of R&D and new technologies, particularly in areas such as food safety, genetics and breeding, reproductive efficiencies, nutrition, disease control, biotechnology, and the environment (Roberts et al., 2009)
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Despite these impediments, the committee notes many opportunities to improve agricultural productivity in both the United States and the developing world. These include advances in general biology pertinent to better understanding animal growth, lactation, and welfare; breeding and growth techniques; genetics, including improved growth characteristics and protection against diseases; technological advances such as minimizing animal production wastes, including recycling, improving
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• Identify and select for traits in animals that increase their adaptability and resilience to climate change and variability • Identify and select for traits in animals and in gut microbiomes that increase animal nutrient and energy utilization, and decrease nutrient excretion • Advances in technology • Minimize animal production wastes and improve nutrient recycling in animal and plant agriculture • Minimize environmental and resource use footprints • Improve animal welfare • Protect against disease • Minimize spoilage of food (e.g., through better packaging) • Advances in social sciences • Improve communication among the public, the food animal industry and scientists • Improve understanding of the economic and social drivers that govern (impact)
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The committee's highest confidence is in the prediction that animal agricultural productivity will be significantly impacted by at least one major factor that is not foreseen today, which itself is a reason to have available a vibrant animal agricultural research enterprise capable of responding to this unforeseen threat (Box 1-6)
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BOX 1-6 Major Uncertainties in the Assessment of Research Needs and Opportunities in Sustainable Animal Agriculture for 2050 • The extent of the impact of global environmental change on animal foodstocks and habitats • The rate of development of new scientific understanding or new technologies pertinent to animal food production research • The impact of overlapping social movements related to animal welfare, organic foods, and vegetarianism on the consumption of animal protein • The impact of science-based health information on consumer preferences • The rate of population growth and of growth of per capita protein consumption, including the extent of sustainable economic development and its role in protein consumption • The state of the economic system, including the extent of institution or removal of trade barriers and the free exchange of animal protein among countries and trading groups • The impact of major new diseases or the spread of existing diseases on animal health REFERENCES Alexandratos, N., and J Bruinsma.
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Journal of Animal Science 89(12)
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Presentation at the First Meeting on Considerations for the Future of Animal Science Research, March 10, 2014, Washington, DC. Herrero, M., and P
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2011. World Livestock 2011: Livestock in Food Security.
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Presentation at the Second Meeting on Considerations for the Future of Animal Science Research, May 13, Washington, DC.
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Available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.htm. Accessed August 15, 2014.
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Lamb Exports 2003-2012 (Including Variety Meat)
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