Ruminant animals are one of the man'es most valuable and renewable resources. As protein is one of the most limiting in human alimentation, the ruminants are indispensable utilizing marginal lands, crop residues and by products inedible by humans. It is stated that the greater the effort to increase rangeland and pasture-fed ruminant animal products the more food for people and the better for the planet. The world animal production doubled in the past 30 years. However the highest increases are in monogastric species (like swine and poultry) which compete with human for food. Lower increases were achieved with ruminant species (like cattle, goat and sheep) which do not compete directly with human for food. Nevertheless, there is a lot of place and ground to increase ruminant animal production based on forages and non-human edible feedstuffs, which would contribute to the world food system in three ways: more ruminant animal high quality foods for humans, more grain and other edible agriculture food for human beings and a better earth environment.
Articles, citations, reports, websites, and multimedia resources focused on rangeland ecology, management, restoration, and other issues on American rangelands.