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. 2015 Jul;145(7):1377-9.
doi: 10.3945/jn.115.212217. Epub 2015 May 13.

Importance of Animals in Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security

Lawrence P Reynolds  1 , Meghan C Wulster-Radcliffe  2 , Debra K Aaron  3 , Teresa A Davis  4
Affiliations

Importance of Animals in Agricultural Sustainability and Food Security

Lawrence P Reynolds et al. J Nutr. 2015 Jul.

Abstract

A conservative projection shows the world's population growing by 32% (to 9.5 billion) by 2050 and 53% (to 11 billion) by 2100 compared with its current level of 7.2 billion. Because most arable land worldwide is already in use, and water and energy also are limiting, increased production of food will require a substantial increase in efficiency. In this article, we highlight the importance of animals to achieving food security in terms of their valuable contributions to agricultural sustainability, especially in developing countries, and the high nutritional value of animal products in the diet.

Keywords: agricultural sustainability; animal products; animals; food security; human nutrition.

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