This book explores the evidence currently available to explain why feeding animals is still essential for global food security.

There is considerable concern and controversy nowadays over the ethics and practices of food production.  These concerns are particularly directed towards food of animal origin, meat, milk and eggs.  Arguments are made that feeding animals with human food materials such as wheat or maize is an ethical misuse of global food resources. 

Unfortunately, the reality and practices of feeding animals is poorly understood.  The return on investment of feeding animals with a small proportion of human edible ingredients is very substantial.  Milk, meat and eggs have a much higher nutritional value than the original food materials.  Moreover, the significant improvements in productivity of animals raised for food over the last 50 years contributes to food security and low cost food in developed countries.  

Oilseeds, human food and biofuel industries generate enormous quantities of materials that are inedible for humans.  Feeding these resources to animals contributes to the development of the Circular Economy.  It removes this enormous quantity of materials from the environment in an economically sustainable way.

Climate change and global warming are major concerns, but it is not readily appreciated that grasslands contribute to carbon sequestration.  Well managed grasslands trap carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store the carbon component in the soil.  

Feeding animals has adverse environmental effects from greenhouse gases and manure.  However, there are possibilities to reduce methane emission by ruminants and to improve manure processing which will mitigate the environmental damage from feeding animals. 

Global food security can only be achieved by obtaining the maximum value from all the food resources on the planet.  As a large proportion of global food resources are inedible for humans, feeding animals is essential for global food security.

This book has been targeted for students and professionals in agriculture and in food production. It would however also be useful for anyone who is interested in the processes of food production and the environmental consequences.

CLIFFORD ADAMS is the Founder and Managing Director of ANOZENE Nutritional Sciences (www.anozene.eu).

CONTENTS:
Global food resources
Food security and low-cost food
Soyabeans and other oilseeds
Sustainability and the Circular Economy
Ruminants and grasslands
Environment: problems and solutions
Feeding animals is essential for efficient global food production
Index