Why livestock agriculture needs better technology

18 October 2026

Livestock supports around 1.3 billion livelihoods, according to the FAO, and livestock-derived foods make up about 32% of the world's protein consumption.

Yet about 20% of animal production is lost to disease, a cost the FAO puts at up to USD 300 billion a year. And the world will need around 50% more food, feed and fibre by 2050 than it produced in 2012.

Much of this work still runs on memory, paper and messages. When records are scattered, problems are found late, and the people who depend on the animals, from keepers to customers, have little to rely on.

Better technology will not solve everything. But clearer records, earlier warnings and shared visibility are a practical place to start, and that is where we are focusing.

Sources: FAO newsroom (29 September 2025 and 23 September 2024), FAO quoted by Teagasc (7 November 2024), and the FAO report on land and water resources (2025).