Variations in land requirements for meat production

Production of meat requires substantial amounts of feed grains which in turn require vast amounts of land. Future population growth and increase in consumption will raise the demand for meat and with it the land required for meat production. This paper analyses the various factors that affect land requirements for meat production. Meat production by Dutch broilers, pigs and beef cattle on their current feeds are compared and options for change are evaluated with respect to their nutritional needs. Differences in land requirements of a factor of 3 were found between different agricultural production systems and feeds as well as between types of livestock. It is shown that broilers have the lowest land requirement while beef cattle have the highest. The variation in feed crop yields between agricultural systems is discussed. It is concluded that due to the large variation within the system there is potential for reduction in the land requirements for meat production.