Animal Agriculture : Sustainability, Challenges and Innovations

Animal Agriculture: Sustainability, Challenges and Innovations discusses the land-based production of high-quality protein by livestock and poultry and how it plays an important role in improving human nutrition, growth and health. With exponential growth of the global population and marked rises in meat consumption per capita, demands for animal-source protein are expected to increase 72% between 2013 and 2050. This raises concerns about the sustainability and environmental impacts of animal agriculture. An attractive solution to meeting increasing needs for animal products and mitigating undesirable effects of agricultural practices is to enhance the efficiency of animal growth, reproduction, and lactation.

Currently, there is no resource that offers specific knowledge of both animal science and technology, including biotechnology for the sustainability of animal agriculture for the expanding global demand of food in the face of diminishing resources. This book fills that gap, giving readers all the necessary information on important issues facing modern animal agriculture, namely its sustainability, challenges and innovative solutions.

Dr. Fuller W. Bazer. Regents fellow, distinguished university professor and presidential impact fellow in the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. Dr. Bazer has published 596 refereed scientific journal papers, edited 5 books, and published 60 chapters in books in addition to many published abstracts. He has received many prestigious awards including American Society of Animal Science Physiology and Endocrinology Award, L.E. Casida Award for Graduate Education and Morrison Award; Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Society for the Study of Reproduction Research Awards for Research, Distinguished Service, Trainee Mentoring, and Carl Hartman Award; Biotechnology 94 Award; Gamma Sigma Delta International Distinguished Achievement Award in Agriculture; Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award in Research; Alexander von Humboldt Research Award in Agriculture; Vice Chancellor for Agriculture Award in Excellence for Research; Wolf Prize in Agriculture; Vice Chancellor for Agriculture Award for Team Research in Uterine Biology and Pregnancy; Society for Reproduction and Fertility Distinguished Research Award; Pioneer Award from International Ruminant Reproduction Society; and Doctor of Science, honoris causa, University of Guelph and University of Florida

Dr. G. Cliff Lamb, professor and head of the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. Formerly, Dr. Lamb served as the Assistant Director and Research Foundation Professor at the University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, FL. His primary Extension and research efforts are focused on applied reproductive physiology in cattle. His programs have received more than $10 million in grant funds or gifts. He has published 102 refereed journal articles, along with more than 609 extension and research reports. Dr. Lamb has received many prestigious awards including the: Thrush Foundation Scholarship (1989 - 1992); MTSU Outstanding Animal Science Senior Award (1992); Block and Bridle Outstanding Senior Award (1992); American Society of Animal Science Scholarship Award (1992); Gamma Sigma Delta Outstanding Masters Student Award (1996); Rotary Club Outstanding International Graduate Student Award (1997); Animal Sciences and Industry Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award (1997); Minnesota Junior Angus Association Outstanding Service Award (2004); Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association Outstanding Service Award (2006); American Society of Animal Science – Midwest Section Outstanding Young Extension Specialist Award (2007); Outstanding Animal Science Graduate Faculty Member – Animal Science Graduate Student Club (2007); American Society of Animal Science – Early Career Achievement Award (2009); Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents - Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture Award Team Award (2011); National Association of County Agricultural Agents – USDA SARE/NACAA Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture Award Team Award (2011); LEAD21 Land Grant Leadership Program Fellow (2011); USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Partnership Award for Multistate Efforts (2013); University of Florida Research Foundation Professor (2014); Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents Outstanding State Specialist (2014); Florida Cattlemen’s Association Researcher of the Year (2015); American Society of Animal Science Animal Management Award (2015); and Dallas Townsend Extension Professional Enhancement Award (2015).

Dr. Guoyao Wu is a University Distinguished Professor and University Faculty Fellow. His research focuses on the biochemistry, nutrition and physiology of amino acids and related nutrients in animals (particularly swine, sheep, cattle, chickens, rats and fish). Dr. Wu has published 565 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 58 book chapters, and 2 professional books (Principles of Animal Nutrition, and Amino Acids: Biochemistry and Nutrition). With > 41,500 citations and an H-index of 103, he is among the Most Cited Authors worldwide. Dr. Wu has received numerous prestigious awards, including China National Scholarship for Graduate Studies Abroad (1984), The University of Alberta Andrew Stewart Graduate Prize (1989), Medical Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship (1989), American Heart Association Established Investigator Award (1998), Nonruminant Nutrition Research Award from the American Society of Animal Science (2004), Changjiang Scholar Award from China (2008), FASS-AFIA New Frontiers in Animal Nutrition Research Awardfrom the Federation of Animal Science Societies and American Feed Industry Association (2009), the Samburu Collaboration Award from the International Association of Giraffe Care Professionals (2010), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2012), and Distinguished Scientist of Sigma Xi Honor Society - Texas A&M University Chapter (2013).