ABSTRACT
Summary The production of animal products from grasslands is dependent upon an adequate resource base—particularly the availability of land, water, and energy. In addition, range and pasture production systems must be designed to adjust to climatic variations and to minimize adverse environmental impacts. Several new developments will have a significant impact on the future allocation of resources for animal agriculture: (1) increased competition for land and water, which is leading to transfers from agricultural to nonagricultural uses; (2) increasing costs and decreasing availability of “cultural energy” (particularly fossil fuels); (3) more pressure to divert grains and feed concentrates from animals to direct human food, thus increasing the dependence on roughages; (4) regional and worldwide changes in types and classes of livestock and systems of production; (5) greater environmental awareness and more recognition of the role of wildlife and other multiple-use aspects of grasslands; (6) impacts of fast-food chains, new grading standards, more concern for human health, and appropriate diets with less animal fat; and (7) the emerging role of the less-developed countries as they attempt to offset substantial population increases by producing more food, moving toward “appropriate technology,” and utilizing new innovations for animal disease control and production.
