Major gains in efficiency the livestock industry are needed to meet the world’s increased demand for animal protein, the UN has warned.
A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) published today (14 December) forecasts that meat consumption is projected to rise nearly 73% by 2050. Dairy consumption, it said, will grow 58% over current levels, fuelled by a rise in income and population growth.
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Intensive production holds the key to feeding growing cities, the report said, but improvements in natural resource use and environmental performance are crucial if this growth is to be sustainable.
“As it stands, there are no technically or economically viable alternatives to intensive production for providing the bulk of the livestock food supply for growing cities,” the report said. “But such systems are a source of concern due to environmental impacts such as groundwater pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as their potential to act as incubators of diseases.”
The FAO report urges producers to invest in more efficient production, animal health programmes and recycling, and calls for greater regulation from the international community.
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