Is There a Future for Cattle Farming?

Humans have relied on cattle for production of food and work, as a source of capital, for dung, for fuel, building, and many other uses, for a period of about 10000 years. As a result, cattle biomass is now approximately twice that of humans on the planet. However, in the face of diminishing natural resources for the expanding human population and evidence of livestock pollution, cattle farms are currently criticized widely for their inefficient use of resources, the poor cattle welfare in modern farming systems, and their impact on human health amongst other problems. This chapter explores the reasons why cattle farming may ultimately cease in response to these issues. The replacement of cattle on farms began in the industrial revolution, when traction engines superseded many cattle in field operations. However, the replacement of cattle as food products is only now beginning to accelerate. The acceptability of alternative milks is growing rapidly and that of alternatives to meat products is also increasing. However, the major advance in replacing bovine meat products is under development in the laboratory as cultured meat, grown from a biopsied muscle sample on an edible scaffold in a nutrient media. Significant investment has been made in the process, which is technically feasible but is currently too expensive. This chapter explores current concerns about cattle farming as well as current difficulties in the development of meat alternatives, such as plant-based and clean meat. Through this exploration, the authors examine the potential for cattle farming to survive in the wake of alternatives offered by advanced food technology. Given anticipated success in bringing suitable alternative products to the market, most of the functions of cattle in developed countries are likely to be replaced. The process in developing countries will be much slower. Nonetheless, the authors anticipate that ultimately—perhaps in the far future—food technology developments will end the reliance on traditional cattle farming practices.