Critical Issues Facing the Food and Animal Industry

Global food security is tightly connected to the food animal industry. Nutrition for billions of people is created through this industry, and it serves as the foundation of economic stability for many countries. Given its overwhelming importance, ensuring the health and efficiency of this industry is very important. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a case study for the way disruptions can ripple through the supply chain in this space. Everything along the chain, from farm workers all the way to end consumers, were impacted. In this post, I share the results of a study I conducted with a team of collaborators. This study aimed to identify and prioritize critical issues facing the food and animal industry today.

We used a three-round Delphi process to identify a total of 56 critical issues facing the food animal industry. Going a step further, those issues were grouped thematically and placed into 7 primary themes. Those themes are listed below:

• Industry Image and Public Relations: How this industry is perceived by the public is essential to its health. Effective public discourse can shape the reputation of the industry and establish and maintain the trust of the consumer.

• Workforce Development and Pipeline: Building a modern workforce that is proficient in the latest technologies and practices is required for the food animal industry. Professionals working in this field need to have the right technical skills and also be committed to the goals and values of the industry.

• Economic and Environmental Sustainability: There is a need to strike a balance between creating an economically viable food animal industry and practices that are environmentally appropriate. Long-term resilience in this space demands that these two objectives co-exist.

• Animal and Human Health/Well-Being: The safety of food products, and the welfare of animals in the system, is the responsibility of this industry. Maintaining consumer confidence will only happen when strict health standards are upheld and disease prevention measures are implemented.

• Production and Distribution Efficiency: Demand continues to rise in this market. Production and distribution processes must continue to evolve through the use of innovative technologies and efficient management practices.

• Government Regulations and Legislative Relations: There are complex legal and political factors that influence the food animal industry. It’s critical to understand the regulatory environment through informed engagement with policymakers.

• Academic and Research Collaboration: Scientific advancements can drive this industry forward, but only when there are strong partnerships in place between educational and research institutions and the major players in the market.

All of these themes work together and must be seen in connection with one another, rather than in isolation. The various stakeholders involved, including policymakers, academics, and industry leaders, need to address these critical issues in a unified, collaborative manner. I've included the full manuscript below if you would like to learn more. Please be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Critical_Issues_Animal_and_Food_Industry.pdf

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Lamm, K. W., Randall, N. L., & Fluharty, F. L. (2021). Critical issues facing the animal and food industry: A delphi analysis. Translational Animal Science, 5(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaa213