One agriculture group says Canada has an opportunity to play a leading role in meeting rising global food production needs through investments in agriculture research across a variety of disciplines.
The Beef Cattle Research Council and the national Beef Value Chain Roundtable have released a strategy to achieve high priority beef research objectives to support increasing productivity while remaining environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
The new Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy will support the industry’s ability to manage challenges and sustainable supply demand.
With long-term trends of rising temperatures, decreasing precipitation and greater weather variability, officials say ongoing research and innovation is necessary to produce adequate livestock feed.
While facing several challenges related to competitiveness, the industry is tasked to increase production.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has projected beef consumption to grow 1.8 million tonnes or 6% in developed countries and 6.8 million tonnes or 17% in developing countries over the next ten years.
The Strategy identifies desired research outcomes related to beef quality, food safety, animal health and welfare, feed grains and feed efficiency, forage and grassland productivity, environmental sustainability and antimicrobial use, resistance and alternatives.
The new strategy’s research objectives are to be captured by 2023.
