As a result of the small population and the large ratio of livestock to people, Australian red
meat production far exceeds domestic consumption, making Australia one of the largest exporters of red meat in the world.
Not exact matches
And with many questioning the sustainability of importing so much food from so
far away, we are beginning to ask if switching to a vegetarian diet to cut emissions caused by
meat production is as sustainable as one might think.
The automation of
meat production could have
far - reaching job implications for the agriculture industry.
While protein products developed by these companies are not currently fit for human consumption, methane - based proteins could improve the environmental impact of
meat production, and eventually
further fuel the meatless revolution by creating another food source for developing economies in Africa and Asia.
Total
meat production is forecast to fall slightly in 2000/01 as cattle herd rebuilding continues, though live cattle exports are expected to increase, reflecting a
further improvement in Asian demand.
That could
further squeeze Australian domestic
meat processors, who are already struggling to secure supply and have in most cases cut
production by half.
As well as explaining that the
production of
meat — on its journey from farm to fork — is responsible for 15 per cent of the planet's harmful greenhouse gas emissions, it underlines that raising equivalent amounts of grain or vegetables for human consumption uses
far less land, water and resources.
Furthermore, consuming more vegetable - based protein from beans and peas, and less protein from
meats such as pork, veal and beef, is recommended because
meat production is a
far greater burden on our climate than vegetable cultivation.
Again, I strongly believe, and it's documented, the U.S. is by
far the safest and most secure in the area of
meat production but at the same time the demands by the public for greater safeguards and security, especially as we start to export more, continues to bode well for veterinarians, who are very integral and are already very involved in the
production animal side of the profession.
If you rotate grain
production through wisely you get better yields per acre grain, AND still producing
meat from the re-purposed land now in grass, meaning you can even
further reduce acreage in grain.
The rising global
meat consumption and the intensification of animal
production systems will put
further pressure on the global freshwater resources in the coming decades.