Cows eating hay and soy-based feed. United Soybean Board/Flickr, CC BY
Merritt Drewery, Texas State University
The world’s population is growing, and so is the challenge of feeding everyone. Current projections indicate that by 2050, global food demand could increase by 59%-98% above current levels. In particular, there will be increased demand for high-quality protein foods, such as meat and dairy products.
Livestock producers in the U.S. and other exporting countries are looking for ways to increase their output while also being sensitive to the environmental impacts of agricultural production.