Alltech partners with biologists to boost sustainably produced subtropical beef

06 Sep 2019 --- Agricultural company Alltech’s nutritionists are teaming up with ecologists from Archbold Biological Station’s Buck Island Ranch to develop beef management approaches. Their goal is to increase the quality and quantity of beef produced in subtropical regions while maintaining and enhancing the environment. The strategic research alliance aims to better understand the impact that cattle production has on an ecosystem, which is crucial as pressure increases on the industry to become more sustainable amid climate change and deforestation controversies.

“The coming together of these two groups represents a unique and exciting opportunity,” says Dr. Vaughn Holder, Ruminant Research Director at Alltech. “As animal scientists, we look at these production systems from a very different perspective than an ecologist that is studying an ecosystem. With this alliance, we aim to demonstrate that the maintenance of the ecosystem is a critical factor in sustainable beef production and also to show how cattle can be a critical part of maintaining natural ecosystems.”

The tools at Buck Island Ranch will enable an unprecedented evaluation of forage quality and range management practices across seasons, according to the research institution. An assessment will also be taken on how nutritional interventions can affect both the cattle and their environment in the long term. The understanding of these relationships will enable the development of cattle supplementation strategies to improve cattle production and reduce its environmental impact.

The Archbold–Alltech Alliance brings together two scientific disciplines to understand the impact that cattle production can have on an ecosystem.“Combining Archbold’s rich ecological knowledge and long-term data with Alltech’s expertise in cattle nutrition is a unique opportunity to understand better – and, ultimately, may lead to – improved supplemental feed strategies and reducing cattle methane emissions,” adds Dr. Betsey Boughton, Associate Research Program Director at Archbold.

Environmental concerns
A 2018 Innova Market Insights survey found that 64 percent of US and UK consumers expect companies to invest in sustainability. The survey found that consumers’ environmental concerns outweigh social and ethical ones when considering the brands that they buy. Looking at this survey in more detail, the results found that two-thirds of consumers say they would prefer a product over another if it claimed to be sustainable and planet-friendly. However, a quarter will only buy if the price is similar.

This is driving many people to adopt a less meat-heavy diet and has led to the increase in flexitarians and mead-reducers in general. When assessing the CAGR of food & beverage launches by selected platforms of innovation (Global, 2013-2017), there was a 17 percent rise in vegan or vegetarian claims and a 57 percent rise in sustainability claims on products marketed under this banner. Additionally, 17 percent of people buying food alternatives cited sustainability as a key motivator.

The cattle industry specifically has come under fire recently, with a report warning that key companies are not doing enough to tackle the impacts of climate change, deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and the use of antibiotics in the livestock sector. Additionally, beef production has been linked to the deforestation driving the Amazon fires. Furthermore, the CDP has found that just 24 percent of high-impact food and agriculture companies are disclosing their effects on forests, with deforestation being driven in-part by raising cattle.

However, various technological breakthroughs could guide the way for dairy and meat producers. DSM recently filed for the EU authorization of its feed additive, which reduces dairy cows’ methane emissions by 30 percent. Arla is using 3D imagery systems to identify changes in physical wellbeing, mobility and weight in cows, as well as using an AI tool to predict the milk production of 1.5 million cows – a move expected to use 200 million kilograms of milk more efficiently each year. 

Edited by Katherine Durrell