According to the World Economic Forum, our future food production is worrying. Food scarcity is a growing problem and needs to be faced now. It requires a change of approach and innovative ideas.
Fortunately, a lot of progress has already been made in this area.
In fact, modern livestock and poultry production in 2023 involves some of the most exciting and cutting-edge approaches to solving the problem. Read on to learn about six of these trends.
1. Precision Livestock Farming
Advances in technology have had a dramatic impact on traditional farming methods. That's created a more efficient and precise approach. It's also often more environmentally sustainable.
Precision livestock farming is one such technological evolution. It involves things like sensors, AI (artificial intelligence), and machine learning.
This technology helps farmers understand more about their livestock.
Let's start with a look at sensors. Farmers can place sensors around the farm to monitor animal health. You can track critical data like movement, heart rate, and temperature.
You can use AI to analyze the data from these sensors. It will identify trends and patterns to help farmers spot issues. It means farmers can detect and resolve problems earlier.
That's got many benefits. It means fewer antibiotics are needed in livestock, for example.
Machine learning also has a role to play. It can help predict issues by looking at trends.
Farmers can use this to improve their management strategies. That could involve a range of decisions, such as feed levels or a change of environment for livestock.
This efficient way of managing livestock helps cut farmers' costs and reduces farming's environmental impact.
2. Newer Protein Sources in Farming
Global food demands are increasing as the Earth's population grows. At the same time, extreme weather events from global warming mean food production is declining in some parts of the world. Wars offer another risk to the global food market.
These problems have led some scientists and agricultural experts to explore new ways of improving food production. Specifically, some corners of the agriculture world have examined potential alternative protein sources.
There are several strands of development here. One is insects; another is algae. And a third, fast-growing trend is lab-grown protein, like lab-grown beef.
While these may seem a step away from traditional meat and poultry foods, they are rich protein sources and have a smaller carbon footprint.
This trend shows that the future of agriculture will face a shift to a more sustainable model. Livestock and poultry farms must find ways to reduce their carbon footprint and perhaps explore other protein production avenues.
3. Genome Editing
There has been substantial scientific progress in genome editing in the past few decades. And some genome editing tools have emerged which could benefit livestock and poultry farming.
These tools work by targeting the genes in animals and editing the sequences. That can change and alter traits that currently have a massive impact on agriculture.
For example, it can alter genetic disease susceptibility. The potential here is exciting. It means agricultural businesses can create high-production farms. These come with fewer diseases or other livestock issues that can lower output.
It has another significant benefit. By producing livestock that are less susceptible to disease, the agricultural industry reduces their need for antibiotics. That's an essential task as we enter an era of antibiotic resistance.
There are other ways gene editing can help the livestock industry. For example, it can help farmers create animals with a higher growth rate.
4. Animal Welfare and Ethical Farming
Customers have more awareness nowadays of food production and farming methods. Some have made conscious decisions on what they buy based on ethical considerations like animal welfare.
That is a trend that is likely to continue.
Two approaches that have been successful in ethical farming in past decades have been free-range and organic.
There will be more pressure on farms to be transparent in their methods. If they offer organic or free-range, they must demonstrate this practice. It may become more standardized and tightly regulated.
Whatever methods and approaches you use on your farm, farming practices will likely be scrutinized.
The highest priority issues for those with ethical concerns include:
- Spacious living conditions
- Access to natural behaviors
- Use of hormones
- Use of antibiotics
In the previous point, we explored developments in genome editing. Yet this has ethical considerations, and it's likely to come under the spotlight as the practice becomes more widespread.
5. Climate Change
Another current trend is about using a climate-smart production technique. This puts sustainable practices and environmental impact at the heart of agriculture.
It involves a range of practices, such as manure management to capture methane. Some farms are using technology to turn this into a renewable energy source to reduce their carbon footprint.
Improved feed production is another way of creating more sustainable farming. That covers a range of steps involved in sourcing feed, such as how it's grown and transported.
There are also products on the market to help reduce methane emissions, such as supplements for livestock feed. There is much research on climate change, so expect to see more innovative ideas in the future.
6. Robotics
Advancements in robotic technology have made it a better, cheaper, and more accessible resource for farmers.
Take the poultry industry, for example. Robots can feed flocks and collect eggs. More advanced technology can even take on the role of disease treatment.
Overall, it's a more efficient and productive way of farming.
A more productive farm will help lower food costs and support food production, which is vital to fight off future food scarcity risks. Plus, this efficient use of technology also makes farming more sustainable.
Modern Livestock and Poultry Production: Leading the Way in New Ideas
Modern livestock and poultry production is already making waves around the world. With innovative technology, sustainable farming practices, and cutting-edge genome science, much is happening to boost food production globally.
To discover some of the best agricultural supplies for your modern farming setup, request a catalog here. Agri sales can help turn your business into a modern high-production success story.
