Parallel comparisons of intensive meat production in developed and developing countries. What can we learn from each other's systems?

Abstract Text: The world in the short future will confront two important facts: the population is increasing and meat consumption by people has been increasing. The challenge will then be: how will we produce enough meat to supply this growing meat demand? It is time to review the intensive meat production strategies conducted in different regions of the world and to learn from each other. In the developed countries, meat production is based in obtaining food energy from cereal grains and the use of extensively processed grains as the main starch source. In developing countries food energy sources come from crop residues, grain process-by products, high sugar content by products, low processed grains and alternative feedstuffs regionally available. The concept of meat quality is different too. Lean meat is the goal in pork production; while in beef production it is different.  In several developed countries such as in the US and Japan, meat quality has a high relationship with tenderness and marbling. In most developing countries, lean beef is well accepted and tenderness is not necessarily a condition for sale. Geographical location imposes limitations on cattle breed, age to placement in feedlots and finishing weight. This presentation will explore what we can learn from these production systems, drawing a parallel comparison of intensive meat production in developed and developing countries.

Keywords: meat production, population