The use of performance-enhancing technologies in global livestock production

Abstract

has been and is expected to continue to increase. However, land available for food production is not increasing and may, in fact, be reduced in the future due to climatic changes. Furthermore, the impact of animal production on natural resources and the environment must be addressed. Thus, to produce more food for more people on less land with fewer resources, production efficiency must be increased. In other words, the performance of meat production systems must be enhanced through the use of technology. However, the use of technologies and even the need and implementation of particular technologies differ throughout the world based on production system, cultural approaches to meat consumption, and the availability of technologies themselves. Previous editions of Animal Frontiers (January and July 2013) focused on the contributions of animal production to global food security, emphasizing both agriculture in developing countries and the application of technologies in animal production. The current issue expands on those ideas with more detail regarding the use of performance-enhancing technologies in the production of meat from cattle, swine, small ruminants, poultry, and fish. This issue also strives to present the diversity of technologies employed globally. While some might find performance-enhancing technologies synonymous with animal pharmaceuticals, technologies used in animal production also encompass genetic and reproductive technologies, feed processing and additives, and animal management and production practices. The contribution of these other technological advancements in production should not be overlooked and continue to be refined. The critical need for performance-enhancing technologies is detailed in the article by Dunshea et al. (2016). They highlight technologies that reduce the amount of inputs (mainly feed) needed to produce meat, increase the amount of meat obtainable from animals, or both. These improvements directly benefit livestock producers by reducing their costs and increasing their revenues. However, consumers of meat benefit from these technologies as well as meat is less expensive and more plentiful. Less apparent, but no less meaningful, is the direct benefit to the environment of these technologies as more meat is produced with less of an environmental impact.