WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2015 21 A National Research Council Committee and its Charge During the past year, I had the distinct honor to serve as a member of a committee of the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies of Science. The committee was charged with defining future research strategies to effectively meet global food security needs by following sustainable production practices. The Committee on “Considerations for the Future of Animal Science Research” identified critical research needs and influential factors for consideration in pursuit of increasing overall production within the confines of highly sustainable production practices for livestock (cattle, sheep, horses, goats), poultry (domesticated fowl) and aquaculture (in freshwater and marine environments), nationally and internationally. A variety of sponsors funded this endeavor, including the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, National Cattleman’s Beef Association, National Pork Board, Tyson Foods, Inc., U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. The Committee’s work was based on three underlying assumptions: 1) global animal protein consumption will continue to increase, 2) limited resources (such as land water, energy, and capital) and global environmental change will require new approaches to increase production and 3) rapid advances in biological sciences are the foundation for achieving a maximum and efficient yield on investments in animal science research and development. Ultimately the Committee’s report consisted of an array of recommendations and complementary research priorities to guide future decisions about research and funding from public and private sources. The Committee’s report, titled “Critical Role of Animal Science Research in Food Security and Sustainability” aptly recognizes the importance of aquaculture research as a significant contributor to global food security. Although organic farming has been suggested as a partial solution to the sustainable production of food, the committee did not address it due to the lack of any cogent information to suggest that scaling to commercial levels of production is possible. My intent in contributing this article to World Aquaculture is to provide a brief summary of the Committee’s recommendations and research priorities and their application to aquaculture. The Committee has offered their blueprint to achieve the “reinvigoration of animal agriculture research” that is essential for effectively addressing the challenge of global food security through sustainable production practices. The aquaculture research and industry communities are well aware of the significance that aquaculture has assumed over the last 50 years as a source of animal protein to meet the ever-increasing needs of a global population. Aquaculture has successfully complemented the volume of seafood derived from capture fisheries, currently providing almost an equivalent volume to meet global seafood protein needs. That need is expected to expand considerably as the world population is projected to reach 9.2 billion by 2050 and more people in developing countries move to urban areas. Personal incomes will correspondingly increase, leading to increases in per capita consumption of animal protein. Recommendations of the Committee The results of the investigations of the Committee were selected by consensus opinion and presented as overarching and key recommendations applicable to all animal agriculture production sectors. Most of the key recommendations detailed for U.S. research were applicable within the international realm while other recommendations were specifically presented to address the unique research needs of developing nations, in particular, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The report notably addressed the current and projected impact of global climate change on animal agriculture production systems and the need to develop successful adaptive strategies to sustain production levels while environmental footprints are concomitantly mitigated. Detailed background that serves as justification for the recommendations can be found in the report. The overarching recommendations call for holistic approaches to increase and intensify animal production by Meeting Future Food Security Needs Using Sustainable Production Practices: Considerations for Aquaculture Research Louis R. D’Abramo (CONTINUED ON PAGE 22) The aquaculture research and industry communities are well aware of the significance that aquaculture has assumed over the last 50 years as a source of animal protein to meet the ever-increasing needs of a global population. Aquaculture has successfully complemented the volume of seafood derived from capture fisheries, currently providing almost an equivalent volume to meet global seafood protein needs.
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