10. In conclusion: The journey will be long
Nutritious protein and especially meat will be a scarce commodity in
the future. From an industrial point of view it is a fantastic business case,
but pitfalls are many and the production agenda is changing. Consumers
expect healthy meat products from sustainably raised animals, and they
want to trust that the food is produced according to their ethical standards.
A responsive meat industry will adapt carefully to these challenges,
and companies that decide not to operate under this new
regimen will lose out. The future battlefield will be an arena consisting
of environmental efficiency, optimal utilization of raw materials, production
efficiency and healthy meat products. The biggest challenge is
reconciling the imposition of numerous requirements that decrease
efficiency and production yet at the same time require increased effi-
ciency and production to feed 9 billion people in the year 2050. The international
meat society has an extremely important assignment to
provide new scientific knowledge and technology that will help our industry
to overcome the challenges and prosper from the obvious attractive
meat market. The future winners will be agile and accountable
companies that dare to join the journey and to develop their production
to meet the future challenges and provide nutritious protein to the
world's population.