The Carbon Footprint of Beef Production

Modern-day agriculture allows the average farmer to produce enough food to feed 125 other people. This is in sharp contrast to the historical agricultural systems exemplified by farming in the 1800s, when each farm could produce only enough food to feed one other family. The global population has increased in line with productivity, yet the rate of increase in meat consumption is greater than the population increase, as previously impoverished regions make economic gains. By the year 2050, the global population is predicted to increase to approximately 9.5 billion people. This will increase total food requirements by 70% compared with the present day (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2009) as a function of population size and the augmented demand for milk and meat protein resulting from greater global affluence. Assuming that present competition between agricultural, industrial, and urban communities for energy, land, and water continues, global livestock industries will face the challenge of producing a sufficient amount of food from animal sources to meet consumer demand, using a finite resource base. It is therefore crucial to adopt technologies and management practices that maximize productive efficiency (food output per unit of resource input) to reduce the environmental impact of food production and to demonstrate the commitment of the agricultural industry to sustainability.