Current situation and future prospects for beef production in Europe — A review

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is the world’s third largest producer of beef. This contributes to the economy, rural development, social life, culture and gastronomy of Europe. The diversity of breeds, animal types (cows, bulls, steers, heifers) and farming systems (intensive, extensive on permanent or temporary pastures, mixed, breeders, feeders, etc) is a strength, and a weakness as the industry is often fragmented and poorly connected. There are also societal concerns regarding animal welfare and environmental issues, despite some positive environmental impacts of farming systems. The EU is amongst the most efficient for beef production as demonstrated by a relative low production of greenhouse gases. Due to regional differences in terms of climate, pasture availability, livestock practices and farms characteristics, productivity and incomes of beef producers vary widely across regions, being among the lowest of the agricultural systems. The beef industry is facing unprecedented challenges related to animal welfare, environmental impact, origin, authenticity, nutritional benefits and eating quality of beef. These may affect the whole industry, especially its farmers. It is therefore essential to bring the beef industry together to spread best practice and better exploit research to maintain and develop an economically viable and sustainable beef industry. Meeting consumers’ expectations may be achieved by a better prediction of beef palatability using a modelling approach, such as in Australia. There is a need for accurate information and dissemination on the benefits and issues of beef for human health and for environmental impact. A better objective description of goods and services derived from livestock farming is also required. Putting into practice “agroecology” and organic farming principles are other potential avenues for the future. Different future scenarios can be written depending on the major driving forces, notably meat consumption, climate change, environmental policies and future organization of the supply chain.

Current situation and future prospects for global beef production: overview of special issue

“…Despite moderate beef consumption per capita (around 16 kg/person/yr), the European Union (EU) is the world’s third largest producer of beef after the USA and Brazil, producing 7.9 million tonnes of carcasses per year [ 6 ]. Beef production contributes to the economy, rural development, social life, culture and gastronomy of European countries.…”

“…In this Special Issue, we have grouped the contributions into the following categories: Countries in Southeast Asia [ 3 – 5 ]; Europe [ 6 , 7 ]; and Countries producing highly marbled beef for domestic [ 8 – 11 ] and/or export [ 12 – 14 ] consumption. The Special Issue also includes reference to Special Topics including marbled beef production [ 10 ], use of “omics” technologies to enhance beef quality assurance [ 7 ] and USA beef quality audits, projects and surveys [ 14 ], summaries of which have been integrated into this paper.…”

Effects of A Concentrate Rich in Agro-Industrial By-Products on Productivity Results, Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality Traits of Finishing Heifers

“…The European Union is the world's third largest producer of beef, but there are great differences in productivity and incomes of beef producers across regions due to diversity of climates, forage availability, breeds and livestock farming practices [1]. In Mediterranean areas, such as Southern Spain, it is not usually feasible to finish beef cattle on pastures or preserved forages due to climatic conditions.…”

Various Statistical Approaches to Assess and Predict Carcass and Meat Quality Traits

“…In the future, European beef consumption is expected to decline or stabilize, with a per capita consumption of 10.2 kg in 2028 (vs. 10.3 kg currently) [1]. In particular, consumption of fresh meat is expected to decrease, although this is likely to be offset by the increased use of meat products as ingredients in processed food [3].…”