Livestock: The Foundation of a Healthy, Sustainable Protein Supply

Demand for safe, nutritious and affordable protein is a key part of a healthy diet. To meet this demand lies one essential truth: healthy livestock are the key to a healthy, sustainable protein supply. With more than 70 years of on-farm experience walking alongside farmers, we’re breaking barriers and developing solutions to help ensure the world has access to safe, affordable, sustainable and high-quality protein. 

The Demand for Animal Protein is Increasing

Protein – specifically high-quality animal protein like meat, dairy and eggs – has expanded from being the star of dinner plates to a staple across all meals and snacks. According to Cargill’s 2025 Protein Profile, meat consumption rose 7% in the United States from 2018 - 2023. The most recent Power of Meat Study found that animal proteins, including eggs, chicken and beef top the list of foods that Americans view as protein-rich. Similarly, USDA data show that dairy consumption reached record highs in 2023, as Americans increased their consumption of butter, cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt. In 2024, 61% of Americans reported increasing their daily snacks with portable options, such as jerky, yogurt, protein bars and shakes. Global consumption of meat protein is projected to increase by 14% by 2030, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and global dairy consumption will rise by 2% in 2024, and demand for dairy products will increase by 2.4% in 2023, driven by in part by greater availability of dairy products. As consumers worldwide continue to demand high-quality protein, the animal health and food industries must continue to innovate and meet consumer expectations. 

We Start with Healthy Animals

Healthy animals are the foundation of a sustainable and secure food supply. Animal disease doesn’t just compromise animal health and welfare; it also increases food costs, decreases supply and extends the use of resources. According to the World Organization for Animal Health, 20% of livestock productivity is lost to death and disease each year – a loss equivalent to the annual dairy consumption of 2 billion people or the annual beef consumption of 1.6 billion people. 

We need to ensure that animal protein is safe, healthy, accessible and affordable. From vaccines that maintain the health of farm animals to nutritional support products that help animals maintain their natural defense against microbial challenges, we’re constantly bringing forward innovations that address some of farmer’s greatest challenges. Our products help: 

By keeping animals healthy, we can also help improve the environmental footprint of animal protein, resulting in a more resilient supply of affordable, high-quality meat and dairy products for consumers worldwide. 

We Empower Farmers with Innovations and Value

Farmers have a long-standing legacy of protecting the environment and natural resources, and they've made significant progress in reducing their environmental footprint. An area of opportunity to decrease a farm's environmental footprint, which many global leaders, food companies and the livestock industry focus on, is reducing emissions from cattle. When cows eat, they naturally produce byproducts, such as methane gas and ammonia - and finding ways to reduce these emissions has a positive impact on the environment. 

We are also committed to helping customers understand the value of their efforts at the farm level. We're actively providing scalable, science-based solutions for farmers and ranchers that can help them reduce, measure, and monetize emissions reductions, ultimately helping the value chain achieve their sustainability goals. We offer a broad toolbox of innovations and sustainability interventions to empower cattle farmers to reduce emissions on their farms, using products like Bovaer®, Rumensin® and Experior®. Learn more about our products here.

Measurement and Analytics Are the First Step in Capturing Value

You can't manage what you don't measure, so we've developed UpLook™, a digital solution that allows farmers to measure their on-farm environmental footprint, implement an on-farm environmental solution, and quantify their improvements. This is the first step in enabling farmers to capture value for their efforts. Dairy farmers are excited about this opportunity, with more than 1 million dairy cows now enrolled in our UpLook database. In the dairy industry, farmers are using this tool to measure greenhouse gas emissions reductions. In the beef industry, more than 2 million feedyard cattle enrolled in UpLook™ to evaluate the impact of multiple interventions on their carbon footprint. Learn more about UpLook here. 

Supporting Farmer Livelihoods and Creating Value Across the Food Chain

UpLook integrates seamlessly with livestock carbon insetting marketplaces and projects, allowing farmers to verify their emissions reduction efforts and generate carbon reductions for sale. Today, companies in the dairy and beef value chain, such as consumer packaged goods companies and food retailers, can purchase those carbon reductions to make progress toward their own environmental and sustainability goals.  With the purchase of these reductions, economic value is returned to the farmer while supporting the food industry’s progress towards their environmental commitments. Today, U.S. dairy farmers have participated in insetting marketplaces and projects that have allowed them to monetize their efforts, with beef projects currently underway. By providing farmers with access to these innovations and advanced measurement tools, we enable them to open new revenue streams, maintain their competitive edge in the global marketplace and create value for the whole chain - from the farmer to the food company. 

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