Global consultation on balancing livestock, environment, and human needs

HUGO LI PUN, E.J. MWENDERA, V. MARES, B. HART, H. STEINFELD, D.PEDEN, C. SERE, C. DE HAAN;Animal Production and Health Division

Global consultation on balancing livestock, environment, and human needs

Autores

HUGO LI PUN, E.J. MWENDERA, V. MARES, B. HART, H. STEINFELD, D.PEDEN, C. SERE, C. DE HAAN;Animal Production and Health Division

Descripción

Livestock provide essential commodities and services to the majority of the world's population. With increasing numbers of people, meat production is projected to increase from 200 million to 310 million tons per year by the year 2020 (De Haan et al., 1996). Although demand for livestock products is stagnating in developed countries, it is rapidly increasing elsewhere due to urbanization and associated shift in eating habits towards livestock products. In addition to providing meat, milk, eggs, hides and skins, livestock provide draught power and manure to enhance soil fertility. Livestock form an integral part of the social fabric for many peoples while they serve as a capital reserve available for hard times. While nutritional trends in developed countries may be in favour of reducing consumption of animal products, in developing countries nutritional needs for animal products are still high.