Strategies and tools for the enhancement of production in the beef industry: the genome factor

The aim of the project was to examine the features involved in product quality and animal health for the purposes of genetic selection in order to achieve the best quality in each of the species and/or breeds under consideration. Among the tasks carried out the working group had to verify the socio-economic development of the most satisfactory end results as determined by the working set of genetic selections in the light of continuous advances in knowledge regarding the bovine genome. The analysis was limited to cattle as they were considered the most representative species for the purpose of the study. The study started with an analysis of the sector to investigate the proactive dynamics concerning the use of technology in the cattle industry The approach used is one which has become customary in studies examining issues in this sector related to the system of farming/livestock and which allows us to detect not only the most crucial quantitative but also qualitative aspects that exist and have been established among the various components of the system, with particular reference to the types of productive performance which are determined by the use of different technical patterns, especially those related to improvement and genetic selection. The study’s aim was to follow the analytical framework of the supply chain in order to highlight important conditions that contribute to an interpretation of the key economic characteristics for the selective breeding industry under analysis. All this is due to the gradual revelation of the genetic basis of biodiversity by means of genome sequencing. Thanks to genomics, subjects to be used for propagation can be selected in terms of the target characteristics to be achieved, such as greater energy efficiency, resulting in the ability to produce better cattle feed, more resistance to disease, or a reduction in environmental impact by reducing emissions of methane gas. Regarding the methodology adopted, an examination of the context is followed by an evaluation of the most suitable production factors for the enhancement of the cattle population and the article concludes with some suggestions for possible future interventions.

Keywords: Economics, beef, quality, genome

Jel codes: L15, Q19

Francesco Zecca, Elisabetta Capocchi, Strategie e strumenti per la valorizzazione delle produzioni nella filiera bovina: il fattore genoma in "ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE" 2/2012, pp 63-83, DOI: 10.3280/ECAG2012-002004