Heat stress in beef cattle: climate change and the global scenario – a review

Abstract

Abstract With the increasing human population and urbanization, the demand for animal origin products is going to grow, especially in the developing nations till 2050’s and the production needs to be escalated and optimized with the changing climate. Heat stress is known to reduce the animal performance, production, shelf life and meat quality in all animals. The beef cattle are globally reared, following different managemental practices so, the usage of natural resources like land and water, manpower, fodders, production systems and the environmental impact also varies profoundly. Recent changes in the climate, global warming and depletion of resources have severely affected the production and heat stress is now a common constraint all over the world. Due to evolutionary diversification the tropical and temperate breeds are comparatively more thermotolerant, but the beef cattle in the colder regions are vulnerable to high environmental temperatures. Also, the production of beef increases the carbon footprint and is much less eco-friendly, than growing plant-based protein. So, we comprehended the environmental temperature variation over the continents and impact of heat stress on beef cattle. Also, other factors like, cattle population, land and pasture usage, livestock units in trade, methane emissions and gross beef production value were examined to evaluate the collective impact of all these on the beef sector. Our findings and predictions reveal that, in the advent of climate change, depleting natural resources and rise in the greenhouse gases, beef production will be constant challenge, which can be only achieved by maintaining a healthy cattle population and optimum usage of natural resources. Only then the beef sector can be efficient, sustainable, and a profitable enterprise in future.