Animal production makes important contributions to agricultural economies throughout the world and to food security in developing countries.
Animals also consume one-third of the global cereal grain supply.
In a world with human population forecast to reach 7.7 billion by the year 2020, a fixed or possibly shrinking quantity of arable land, and an estimated 800 million undernourished people, quantifying the net contribution of animal production to quantity and quality of the food supply is important. Current global food supply is sufficient to provide everyone with an adequate diet. The inequitable distribution of food, which leads to hunger in some areas, is caused by inequities in income distribution, a complex issue not likely to be addressed effectively by changes in any one component of agricultural production systems. Consumption of meat, milk, and eggs varies widely among countries, reflecting differences in food production resources, production systems, income, and cultural factors. Per capita consumption of these foods is much higher in developed countries but the current rapid increase in many developing countries is projected to continue.