14 December 2011, Rome - By 2050 an expanded world population will be consuming two thirds more animal protein than it does today, bringing new strains to bear on the planet's natural resources, according to a new FAO report published today.
Populations and income growth are fueling an ongoing trend towards greater per capita consumption of animal protein in developing countries, says the report, World Livestock 2011. Meat consumption is projected to rise nearly 73 percent by 2050; dairy consumption will grow 58 percent over current levels.Much of the future demand for livestock production — in particular in the world's burgeoning cities, where most population growth is occurring — will be met by large-scale, intensive animal-rearing operations.
"As it stands, there are no technically or economically viable alternatives to intensive production for providing the bulk of the livestock food supply for growing cities," FAO's report says.
But such systems are a source of concern due to environmental impacts such as groundwater pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as their potential to act as incubators of diseases, warns the report, cautioning: "an urgent challenge is to make intensive production more environmentally benign."
