Once we stop breeding these industrial farm animals for mass-market consumption, they will continue on only in small niche markets for hobbyists. But this will actually be a benefit to the planet...

Livestock today have been drastically altered from the wild species from which they descend. Domestication and centuries of breeding have changed cattle, chickens, pigs and other livestock so much that they would be unable to survive independently in the wild.

Once we stop breeding these industrial farm animals for mass-market consumption, they will continue on only in small niche markets for hobbyists. But this will actually be a benefit to the planet, because the ecological footprint of animal agriculture is staggering. For example, livestock make up 62% of the earth’s mammal biomass, while humans make up 34% and wild animals just 4%.

Explore the evidence...

• We anticipate that by 2035 livestock farming will only operate in artisanal, high-cost, niche areas. However traditional forms of meat will still be available. Learn more about the impacts of the modern food disruption on the current supply chain on p43-44 of our Rethinking Food & Agriculture report.
• Businesses involved in processing should consider selling early or splitting off the relevant business units. If this is not possible, ceasing investment and maximizing short-term returns is likely to yield the best return. Read more about our suggestions for decision-makers' choices and planning on p59-63 of our Rethinking Food & Agriculture Report.
• We won't have to get rid of all of our cows, however, our meat will come from other sources. Read more in our blog.
• Watch RethinkX co-founder Tony Seba explain how artisan meat will be the way we consume animal products.
• By 2030, the number of cows in the United States will have fallen by 50% and the cattle farming industry will be all but bankrupt. Read more about the ecological implications of the dairy industry disruption on p29-30 of our report Rethinking Climate Change. Read our webpage to learn more about the dairy disruption by modern foods like Precision Fermentation.

Witness the transformation

We are on the cusp of the deepest, fastest, most consequential disruption in food and agricultural production since the first domestication of plants and animals 10,000 years ago.

By 2030, the number of cows in the U.S. will have fallen by 50% and the cattle farming industry will be all but bankrupt. All other livestock industries will suffer a similar fate.

While the knock-on effects for crop farmers and businesses throughout the value chain will be severe, the potential of the new system that disrupts the old one, based on modern food technologies and Food-as-Software, will be staggering.

Learn more about the disruption of food & agriculture.

Published on: 12/07/23