Boosting Food Efficiency in Livestock: The Key to a Greener Future

At the heart of livestock farming lies an important goal: making the most out of the feed given to animals. This is what we call feed efficiency. It's like asking how much product (like meat or milk) we get out of every bite of feed the animal eats. But there's a tricky balance here. While we want more product, we also need to make sure the animal can handle various challenges, like diseases or stress. One way to achieve this balance is by improving the animal's ability to switch between different food sources (metabolic flexibility). Let's look at pigs, for instance. Pig farmers often select pigs that grow quickly and have lean bodies. These pigs tend to use energy more efficiently and have muscles that are better at burning different types of food (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins). When pigs can easily switch between food sources, they can better cope with stress, diseases, and even heat. This flexibility means that selecting for better feed efficiency doesn't always come with drawbacks. In fact, it can make pigs healthier and more resilient. So, what does this mean for the future? It shows that by focusing on enhancing how animals use their food, we might be able to create a more sustainable and robust livestock industry.