The Australasian beef industries—Challenges and opportunities in the 21st century

Within the broader geopolitical region of Australasia, only Australia and New Zealand have signifi cant beef industries. These industries share many of the challenges and drivers that are infl uencing other beef industries around the world, as discussed in other papers in this issue of Animal Frontiers. However, in Australia and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand, the internal diversity of the beef industries is a distinctive feature, infl uenced by wide climatic and biogeographic variation, and consequent variation in management systems, cattle genotypes, impact of endemic diseases, supply chain infrastructure, and market opportunity. The Australasian industries also are distinctive in their freedom from most potentially devastating exotic diseases that plague many other beef-producing countries, their substantial dependence on export markets, and their relative lack of public subsidy and tariff protection. This paper discusses some of the most serious challenges to the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the beef industries in Australia and New Zealand and comments on opportunities to overcome these challenges, especially those with a regional fl avor that are amenable to innovative solutions.