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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119430
Title: SOME THOUGHTS ON ANIMAL AGRICULTURE, TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY, HUMANS, ANIMAL SCIENCE, AND HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER

Author
item Short, Robert
item Heitschmidt, Rodney

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2000
Publication Date: 6/1/2000
Citation: SHORT, R., HEITSCHMIDT, R.K. SOME THOUGHTS ON ANIMAL AGRICULTURE, TECHNOLOGY, ENERGY, HUMANS, ANIMAL SCIENCE, AND HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE. 2000. v. 51. p. 9-17.

Interpretive Summary: The world we live in is changing rapidly, and these changes are creating unique problems and opportunities for animal agriculture. These problems must be addressed, and the solutions are best identified by a coordinated, scientific approach. The American Society of Animal Science is well suited, based on historical contributions, to be a major player in this coordinated, scientific solution to problems so that animal agriculture will continue well into this century as the major supplier of high quality foods and other services to humans.

Technical Abstract: The future of human societies and the role of agriculture, animal agriculture, and agricultural research and the allocation of natural resources in those societies has been studied and debated for centuries. This debate continues, and it is important for those of us in animal agriculture to address issues in this debate, because if we do not, the answers will evolve without our input. Agriculture is the management or manipulation of the natural and biological resources and processes whereby solar energy is captured and processed by plants and animals to produce food, fiber, and other products to provide for the well-being of humans. Animal agriculture performs important nutrient recycling functions, and in this and other ways, is an integral part of many agricultural production systems. Cultural energy is the energy applied to do the work to manage and manipulate resources to accomplish agriculture. To understand agriculture then is to understand the flow of energy (solar, cultural, and stored) through the biological systems on earth. Four main interrelated problems confronting agriculture involve 1) providing for the needs of an exponentially increasing number of humans, 2) availability of sufficient supplies of affordable energy, 3) continued progress towards industrialization of agriculture and potential consequences of pollution, and 4) societal constraints and incentives related to agriculture through political and economic processes. The success of modern agriculture in meeting the needs of humans is directly a result of the application of the knowledge and technology developed by science-based research. Continued success will depend on how we address and solve the above problems.