Role of the Dairy Cow in World Food Production

Cattle were domesticated 6,000 to 10,000 yr ago and have contributed greatly to human welfare. Important developments in agricultural history are specialized dairy breeds together with the necessary feed base and nutrition technology. Milk is a highly nutritious food — a perfect complement to cereal based diets. World-wide the average ratio of humans to cows milked is 20, ranging from about 5 in Oceania and USSR to 125 in mainland China. Milk produced per capita averages 98 kg, ranging from less than 1 kg in Indonesia to 765 kg in Oceania. Productivity per cow ranges from 333 kg in Africa to 4,560 in North America.

Dairy cattle are the most efficient of all farm livestock in converting feed protein and energy to food. Escalating fossil energy costs and reduced supplies may precipitate sharp changes in systems of livestock production in the world, particularly those that are energy intensive. Greater reliance on high quality forages will become necessary. Potential for world forage production and for milk production from forages is several times current production. Improved forage production is essential to exploit potential for milk production in the tropics and subtropics where anticipated population increases are greatest, current per capita consumption is low, and need for animal protein is high. Population pressures and energy supply and cost could limit expansion of the dairy industry into these areas.