Harold W. Harpster
Professor of Animal Science
Department of Dairy and Animal Science
The Pennsylvania State University

Let’s be optimistic and say that that the agricultural industries are slowly getting better at informing the general public on how and why their food is produced the way it is. The days of assuming we can raise animals any way we want and keep consumers in the dark are OVER! However, we must do a much better job of educating the public to the realities of food production.

While it may be appealing to many to return to the days of small low-tech farms, the fact is we just can’t feed the world with those techniques. In less than 40 years the world population is expected to increase 33% to an incredible 9.15 billion people. At the same time per capita income in developing countries will increase significantly. By the year 2050 some experts are predicting an overall food demand increase of 70% and a 100% increase in demand for animal products.

One of the more interesting presentations at the recent national animal science meetings in Denver was a presentation by Dr. Jude Capper of Washington State University. She first compared our beef production efficiency in 2007 versus 1977. In that 30-year time span the industry produced 13% more beef products while slaughtering 13% fewer animals; clearly more consumable products for mankind while using fewer resources.

Consider the current buzz words being applied to most industries, i.e., “decreasing our carbon footprint”. Comparing 2007 to 1977, the beef industry can claim the following reductions per pound of beef produced:

• 18% fewer total carbon emissions
• 9% less fossil fuel energy
• 10% less feed energy
• 20% fewer feedstuffs
• 30% less land
• 14% less water

Not a bad record is it? While many think the solution to all our problems lies in turning to an all grass-fed system it’s hard to support that notion with the facts. Dr. Capper pointed out that the average “days to finish” in feedlot cattle is 219; for grass-fed systems, 431. And for producing an equivalent amount of beef it takes about 3.5 times more land base for grass-fed versus feedlot. It’s simply a matter of energy density- “concentrates” have that name for a reason! This should in no way cast dispersion on those devoted to grass-fed beef systems; we just can’t begin to feed the world if the whole industry adopts that method.

Bottom Line-“Confinement” and even “feedlot” are evil words in many circles these days but have we really thought it through? As long as animals are humanely cared for aren’t we using LESS of the world’s open and /or wild spaces by concentrating animals on a smaller land area? Food for thought!

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This article was originally published in the American Agriculturist magazine.