Global Meat Consumption
I’m Susan Allen, The world’s population is projected to grow by three billion more people in the next 40 years. Here in big sky country it’s hard to fathom what that will mean to the rural west. When Open Range returns .Population growth like the national deficit is so overwhelming huge it’s difficult to wrap your head around and hard to understand how China and India’s growing middle class effects US beef producers. In a quick recap from the Animal Agricluture’s Annual conference earlier this month the fact two to three more billion people will be considered middle class by 2030 means global meat consumption will rise. Who will fill this need? I’d like to say US ranchers but I am afraid that due to our tight environmental regulatory constraints, land and water shortages, current high energy costs and crippling legislation it will be tough to for American beef producers to remain competitive when facing giants like Brazil, unless and here is the big if, if money is invested into developing increased productivity. In the next decade it will be critical for our land grant university and ag research facilities to develop ways to grow more cattle, faster on less land using less resources while also coming up with new food safety technology in processing beef. The numbers are daunting but if you are raising cattle they should be encouraging especially considering that global beef demand will need to increase a whopping 58 percent to meet the growing demand for meat by just 2050 , thrity eight years!
