Cattle to feed: Why a global meat crisis is looming

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the global meat supply is under growing pressure as cattle herds shrink in Brazil, the United States and China, the world’s three biggest beef producers. The article says the decline is linked to higher input costs, drought and the biology of raising cattle, all of which make it slow and expensive to rebuild herds. It notes that beef production is expected to fall in all three countries, while prices have already risen sharply in markets such as China.

The piece says the United States is facing a historic low in cattle numbers, Brazil’s herd has fallen from last year’s level, and China’s cattle inventory has also dropped significantly. It adds that trade restrictions, drought-hit grazing land and a cattle reversion cycle in Brazil are among the factors shaping supply. In the US, the report says feed costs have risen and some ranch groups have complained that immigration raids are complicating already strained operations.

Al Jazeera also places beef shortages in a wider food-system context. It says poultry production is growing in parts of Europe because chickens can be raised more quickly than cattle, while India’s poultry industry has cut output targets after a sharp rise in soya meal prices pushed up feed costs. The article argues that disruptions in grain, feed and weather can quickly spread through meat markets and affect what consumers buy around the world.