The Carbon Footprint of Beef Production Judith L. Capper* Department of Animal Sciences, 116 Clark Hall, PO Box 646310, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6310, USA capper@wsu.edu Introduction Modern day agriculture allows the average farmer to produce enough food to feed 125 other people. This is in sharp contrast to the historical agricultural systems exemplified by farming in the 1800’s, when each farm could only produce enough food to feed one other family. The global population has increased in line with productivity, yet the rate of the increase in meat consumption is greater than the population increase, as previously impoverished regions make economic gains. By the year 2050, the global population is predicted to increase to approximately 9.5 billion people. This will increase total food requirements by 70% compared to the present day (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2009) as a function of population size and the augmented demand for milk and meat protein resulting from greater global affluence. Assuming that present competition between agricultural, industrial and urban communities for energy, land and water continues, global livestock industries will face the challenge of producing sufficient animal-source foods to meet consumer demand, using a finite resource base. It is therefore crucial to adopt technologies and management practices that maximize productive efficiency (food output per unit of resource input) in order to reduce the environmental impact of food production and to demonstrate the agricultural industry’s commitment to sustainability.