Progressive Swine Technologies

In The News

Two more planets by 2050?

By Jim Pillen, for Nebraska Cattlemen Magazine
February, 2008

Columbus, NE - Editor's note: In January 2007, Jim Pillen, founder and co-owner of Progressive Swine Technologies, was a guest speaker at the Farmers & Ranchers Cow/Calf College in Clay Center. He did an outstanding job of encouraging partricipants to think beyond their own fences. In December 2007, NC staff invited Pillen to address them at their annual professional development seminar. As he did in Clay Center, Pillen challenged NC staff to think well beyond traditional issues. Pillen's message: There is great future in agriculture, specifically in protein production. In order to recognize that future, we must work together, focusing on our strengths and bettering our weaknesses in order to compete in a global economy. As Pillen put it, "In our industry, we are not in the animal production business; we are in the people business."

Do you look at the food on your plate and appreciate the hands it passed through and the economies created from conception to consumption?

According to the United Nations, the world's population will increase from its current level of 6.5 billion people to 9.2 billion by the year 2050. In only about 40 years, there will be an additional 2.7 billion people in the world. Let's put that into perspective. The world's population in 1955 was only 2.7 billion. Today, there are 1.3 billion people in China and 1.1 billion in India. Thus, by 2050 we will have created and additional China and India.

Nearly half of today's world population has a gross family annual income of less than $1,000. Why is this significant? With a family's income less than $1000 per year, they are not able to readily purchase a protein source and thus will rely solely on starches, predominantly beans and rice. However, as the world's population increases, so does the number of people who will now have the income to purchase and demand a reliable source of protein. There will be another China and India to feed.

So why is any of the relevant to Nebraska and United States protein producers (ie. cattle, pork, dairy and poultry)? Frankly, it has everthing to do with us. It is often said that we are feeding the world, but there will continue to be an ever increasing demand for the best and the most at the least cost.

To meet the demand, we and public officials must recognize that livestock is the origin of value-added agriculture. We need to convey that career opportunities in livestock and agriculture, specifically Nebraska livestock and agriculture, are abounding, and it is critical for current livestock and agricultural leadership and their organizations to work even more closely to advance a profitable and sustainable business climate.

What is your definition of value-added agriculture? When I pose this question, no matter the setting or audience, I hear a multitude of answers - from ethanol to biodiesel, cheese to genetics. The answer I never hear is livestock. Yet livestock is the origin. All other recognized value-added agricultures are subservient to livestock. Without livestock they would not be in existence. Would we have cheese without milk or ethanol without cattle? Imagaine the significant decrease in revenue to power companies without livestock in Nebraska. How may bins would Behlen or Chief market without livestock? I think you get the point. When asked, "What is value-added agriculture?" it is critical that we are a united voice, as protein producers in Nebraska, and agree livestock is the value-added agriculture.

The best and brightest young people - those with strong value systems - leave our rural communities every day. They attend universities and seldom return. Why? As a protein producer you are creating career opportunities, but are you helping convey excitment for the future of protein production and telling young people that this is where the action is? Or are you merely continuing to assume that these young people are "better off" moving to the city and never returning? If we believe that livestock is the value-added agriculture to which all other economies are subservient, then we owe it to them to simply ask them to return. They aren't going to return and stay in agriculture if they don't realize the future and great opportunities it holds. UNL's Coach Osborne would tell his players every day, before the headed to the football field, that they could make one of two choices - to get better or to get worse. We need to get better and make our businesses a place where bright, young, talented people want to be involved.

Central to communicating the excellent career opportunities for young people and creating a prevailing answer to the question, "What is value-added agriculture?" is this: a unified voice through all agricultural organizations and their leadership. Protein producers need to be unified, a single voice. It's simple. Creating a business climate that will be sustainable and allow for continued growth is not only up to our organization, but up to each and every protein producer. If you don't see that there are huge opportunities in helping feed the world, please look closer. If you think you are just a cattle producer or just feeding a few pigs and not in the high tech food businesses, then why would talented young people allow you to lead their future?

If we continue to raise 150 bushels of corn per acre in order to feed the world, there will be a need to find two more planets by 2050. What a phenomenal opportunity for all of us and our youth. However, if we as protein producers do not believe we are the origin of value-added agriculture and work to build a unified voice, then each of our efforts will be for naught. The climate in which our businesses exist is not easy, and it is not going to get any easier. This is not a "when it is convenient" proposition. The next time you make that plate of food, take time to think about yourself as a protein producer and how you fit into the mix. I'll bet you come to the same conclusion - we are value-added agriculture.

Jim Pillen, DVM, 2005
Founder of Progressive Swine Technologies