Abstract #591
Section: Production, Management and the Environment
Session: Production, Management, and the Environment II
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Tuesday 2:00 PM–2:15 PM
Location: Panzacola H-1
Session: Production, Management, and the Environment II
Format: Oral
Day/Time: Tuesday 2:00 PM–2:15 PM
Location: Panzacola H-1
# 591
Global impact of improving feed efficiency and technology transfer efficacy.
Robin R. White*1,3, Todd J. Applegate2, Gary L. Cromwell3, Donald C. Beitz4, Michael L. Galyean5, Mary Beth Hall6, Phillip S. Miller7, Jack Odle8, William P. Weiss9, Mark D. Hanigan1, 1National Animal Nutrition Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 2Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 3University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 4Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 5Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 6USDA/ARS, Madison, WI, 7University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 8North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 9The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Key Words: food security, nutrition, feed efficiency
Global impact of improving feed efficiency and technology transfer efficacy.
Robin R. White*1,3, Todd J. Applegate2, Gary L. Cromwell3, Donald C. Beitz4, Michael L. Galyean5, Mary Beth Hall6, Phillip S. Miller7, Jack Odle8, William P. Weiss9, Mark D. Hanigan1, 1National Animal Nutrition Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 2Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 3University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 4Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 5Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 6USDA/ARS, Madison, WI, 7University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 8North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 9The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Providing protein for the expanding population is an imperative challenge to which animal nutrition research is vital. The objective of this work was to model how improving livestock feed efficiency and adoption of agricultural technologies would affect the number of people’s annual protein requirements that could be met from a constant feed base. Global production data from FAOStat and occupation statistics from World Bank were collected to estimate the meat, milk and eggs (food) produced by an average farmer. Increasing feed efficiency was modeled as a % reduction in the feed required to produce 1 kg of food. Technology transfer efficiency was also accounted for. Net improvement in food produced was modeled as the sum of food produced from the proportion of farmers adopting the technology and food produced from the proportion of farmers not adopting the technology. Conversion of meat live weight to retail weight was based on dressing percentages (sheep/goat, 50%; beef, 63%; pork 70%) and a 50% conversion of dressed to retail weight. Retail milk and eggs were assumed 90% of produced weights. Protein production was calculated based on protein content. Meat protein (125 g/kg to 183 g/kg) and milk or egg protein (33 g/kg to 126 g/kg) varied by species. Protein produced by the system was divided by an average human’s protein requirement (45 g/d) multiplied by 365 d. Assuming a 30% efficiency in technology transfer, a 34% improvement in feed efficiency would be required to meet the protein needs of an additional 0.5 × 109 people. A myriad of combinations of improved feed efficiency and improved technology transfer could result in sufficient protein to feed 2 × 109 people. In general, feed efficiency improvements of over 50% were required and technology transfer efficiencies between 50 and 70% greatly improved practicality of meeting the protein requirements of 2 × 109 billion people. Both biological research aimed at improving feed efficiency, and social research aimed at understanding factors influencing technology adoption rates will be required to improve global food security. Supported by USDA NIFA and State Agricultural Experiment Stations.
Key Words: food security, nutrition, feed efficiency