Prospects for Livestock Production in the Next Future

  • Andre THEWIS Gembloux Agro Bio-Tech, University of Liège
Keywords: livestock, production, future

Abstract

Livestock systems occupy actually about 30% of the planet’s emerged ice-free terrestrial area.

Moreover, the livestock sector represents at least 1.3 billion persons among the long market chain and supports directly the livelihood of 600 million of poor smallholder farmers in the developping world (Thornton et al., 2006).

Livestock products provide important nutrients (globally 17% of kilocalorie consumption and 33% of high value protein consumption plus minerals and vitamins). However, there are large discrepancies between developed and developing countries.

It must also be mention that eating meat is not only a question of nutritional needs but also a question of taste, odor and texture as well as a question of culture, ethics, wealth and geographical area.
Published
2013-02-22