Future Patterns of U.S. Grains, Biofuels, and Livestock and Poultry Feeding: Summary

In this report, we have reviewed recent trends in the U.S. and the global bioenergy, grain, feed, and livestock industries. The report focuses on the impact of development of the U.S. bioenergy industry on grain and feed availability for the livestock sector as well as industry profitability, production, efficiency, demand, and the future of the feed-livestock sector. Bioenergy likely will continue to be a driving force influencing the future direction of the feed and livestock industries. We focused on the feed-livestock industry’s adjustments to the new dynamics of the feed and grain sectors, how the industry has and will be affected, and some key challenges to monitor. Our focal points include: 1) grain and livestock production efficiency; 2) future bioenergy production; 3) rapid foreign economic growth, especially in East Asia, with its implications for dietary change, demand for feedstuffs, and feed availability; and 4) long-term challenges, including global population growth, increased foreign consumption of livestock products, cropland constraints, climate change, and related issues