Animal Production Systems

Animal agriculture continues to evolve in response to the dynamic tension between providing a plentiful, affordable, safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food supply and fostering the responsible use of natural resources entrusted to farmers to produce food including air, water, land, animals and people. Feeding the world will be the next great generational challenge that mankind faces and animal agriculture needs to be part of a solution to a more resilient, sustainable and equitable future. This course will explore the current and future practices in animal agriculture in the context of sustainable or in some cases a regenerative future. A systems-based approach will be applied to understand the role of different livestock species in our food system, learn public concerns, and work to identify solutions that allow for both profitable and socially acceptable farming practices. The goal of this course is for students to become familiar with those issues linking farming with system sustainability, and to learn about mitigation strategies, management options, and new business opportunities. Through lectures, guided discussion, and homework exercises, students will be led to analyze information holistically from a variety of different perspectives. Students will gain knowledge about future expectations of animal agriculture and synthesize solutions to ensure that its role in a more sustainable food future. 2 Credit Hours