Sustainability plays a significant role in maintaining environmental and economic balances while also offering a critical approach to combating climate change. In this context, Trouw Nutrition Türkiye organized the Ruminant Academy, where the topics of ‘Sustainability’ and ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Livestock Farming’ were thoroughly addressed. The event, which saw strong participation from industry representatives, emphasized the need for new approaches and multidisciplinary research in sustainable agriculture and livestock farming to address the effects of rising population and climate change.
Sustainability, which contributes to the transfer of natural resources to future generations, is vital for maintaining both environmental and economic balances. This approach, aimed at reducing the negative impacts of human activities on nature, also plays a critical role in combating climate change. In this context, Trouw Nutrition Türkiye, which focuses on raising healthy livestock under the mission of “Feeding the Future,” organized multiple sessions under the themes of “Sustainability” and “The Effects of Climate Change on Livestock” at its Ruminant Academy, held five years after the last event. The gathering took place on October 25-26 at the Sirene Belek Hotel in Antalya and attracted significant interest from industry representatives.
ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS POSE RISKS FOR AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK
Gonca Altıntaş
The program was moderated by Prof. Dr. İbrahim Ak, Head of the Department of Animal Science at Bursa Uludağ University. Trouw Nutrition Türkiye Country Manager Gonca Altıntaş delivered the opening speech, expressing excitement about evaluating the future of the industry together with stakeholders at the Ruminant Academy. She stated, “This year, we built our academy around the sustainability theme, which is prominent on the global agenda, and we discussed the impacts of climate change on livestock within this framework. Sustainability is a multifaceted concept that is critical for our sector from economic, ecological, and social perspectives. Research on the trajectory of our world indicates that we will face serious global challenges in the coming years, such as wars, migrations, increasing populations, and inadequacies in food resources. Environmental threats, like climate change and drought, not only increase costs but also bring problems such as the reduction of agricultural lands and depletion of water resources.”
GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION MUST INCREASE BY 50% BY 2050
Gonca Altıntaş emphasized that the global population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, stating, “When the world population reaches these levels, agricultural production used for biofuels and to meet nutritional needs is predicted to need a 70% increase. Additionally, per capita agricultural land is expected to decrease from 2.0 decares to 1.6 decares. Under these conditions, it is anticipated that food production must increase by 50% by 2050 to access healthy food. Considering that the water demand from the increasing population is expected to rise by 30%, serious research and planning in this area have become unavoidable. Another evaluation regarding the impact of climate change on livestock operations indicates that costs will increase significantly, particularly affecting feed raw material production, which will, in turn, reflect on the final product. For instance, while beef prices are expected to increase by 33% by 2050 without climate change, this increase is projected to rise to 60% with climate change.”
MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IS NEEDED FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK
Altıntaş also addressed the effects of climate change on Türkiye, stating, “Currently, the per capita available water in Türkiye is about 1,300 cubic meters per year. If climatic conditions do not change, our country will face a serious water shortage. The population of Türkiye, which was 81.9 million in 2018, is expected to reach 95.7 million by 2050. This level of population growth implies that the per capita water availability will drop to around 1,200 cubic meters. In other words, considering climate change and rapid population growth, Türkiye is forecasted to become a water-scarce country by 2050.