Telling the Beef Story
Gary Smith addresses meeting the challenge of feeding the world.
DENVER (Jan. 15, 2013) — By now, most people understand the challenge that American farmers and ranchers will have to produce more food in the next 50 years than they have in the last 10,000 years with the same amount (or less) arable land, but what is the game plan for achieving that? Gary Smith, emeritus distinguished professor at Colorado State University, told participants of the 2013 International Livestock Congress in Denver, Colo., Jan. 15 that 70% of the answer would be in technology.
To feed more people, there are three options, Smith said. The first is to increase the amount of arable land. The second is to increase grazing, but not arable, land. The third, and most realistic, is to increase efficiency of production on arable and grazing lands.
Smith cited a 2009 Iowa State University study reported by John Lawrence that indicated that in the cow-calf sector, eliminating the use of growth-promoting implants, dewormers and fly control would increase the breakeven price by 47%, a value of $274 per calf. In the stocking sector, removal of growth-promoting implants, ionophores, antimicrobial therapy, dewormers and fly control would increase the breakeven price by 13%, a value of $95 per calf. Lastly, in the feedlot sector, removal of growth-promoting implants, ionophores, antimicrobial therapy, beta-agonists and dewormers would increase the breakeven price by 13%, a value of $155 per calf.
The use of technologies may make sense to cattle producers, but do the consumers understand?
“Do, in fact, try to be transparent on the use of technologies, because we are seeking trust,” he reminded. It is far easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble, he added. The industry must be transparent enough to stay out of trouble.
Trust is what the beef industry craves from its consumers, and the way to gain that trust is to use confidence (show that producers have similar values to that of consumers), competence (scientific data) and influential others (like the American Medical Association agreement on not labeling GMO foods), he explained. These three things lead to trust, which then becomes social license and freedom to operate.
Of these three, he noted, confidence, or values, is three to five times more resonant with consumers as competence or science.
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