What is food security?

Having food security means having a safe, plentiful food supply for all people. It is a huge goal, so animal scientists are working to improve the supply of animal products.

Food is scarce in many parts of the world today. The world population is predicted to grow from around 7.5 billion people today to 9.1 billion people by the year 2050. That means food security will be more important than ever.

In animal agriculture, it is important to increase production efficiency. If farmers can produce more meat, milk and eggs, they can better feed the world. Improving animal breeding, nutrition and health means more food for humans. Animal scientists also study different animal diets. If animals can eat feedstuffs like distillers grains, for example, we can use more grains for human food.

Once the food is produced, it is important to keep it from spoiling. Food security relies on proper food storage and handling. Animal scientists and meat scientists study how to stop pathogens from spreading to animal products.

The next step is to get the food to people who need it. Some regions of the world are more suited for agricultural production. It is important for countries with surplus food to export food to countries with a food deficit. Again, proper storage and handling are important for food transport. Some animal producers also export live animals. Animal scientists work with these producers to keep animals healthy during these shipments.

It is also important to minimize the impact of food production on the environment. Farmers need to make sure land, air and water are kept safe for generations to come.