Meat consumption has been associated with claims of negative health effects, along with speculation of humans evolving on a vegetarian diet. Anthropological investigation has shown that human evolution from the ape line over 3–4 million years has actually been associated with a high reliance on meat, with associated digestive-system adaptations. Today, we rely on meat in the diet for a range of specific nutrients and these can be supplied in a low-fat healthy form from a range of meat cuts.

Greater efficiency of agricultural production is essential to meet future food needs. The retail industry has the potential to reduce efficiency by exerting price pressure and dictating production methods. The unwise exploitation of market power can have far-reaching and adverse consequences for rural communities and consumers.

Transition from stall-housing to group-housing of sows can present nutritional management challenges. By focussing on gilt introduction and lactation management to optimise intake and maintain consistent body condition, as well as eliminating competition for food at mixing, the major challenges when feeding in groups diminish, including the need for individual sow nutritional regimes. This approach means that higher density housing (e.g. 1.8 m²/sow) with low-cost conversions is a viable proposition in commercial herds.

Like other animals, dairy cows require amino acids for the synthesis of body tissues as well as regulatory, protective and secretory proteins. Lysine and methionine appear to be the two most critical amino acids in most dairy cow rations. Numerous studies have shown that feeding rations enriched with these two amino acids, in a ratio of ~3 : 1 in the metabolisable protein, will not only increase yields of milk and milk components, but also improve animal health, and reproductive performance and reduce nitrogen excretion.

Non-ruminant livestock (pigs and poultry) need high quality diets to achieve their genetic potential for growth and optimising the efficiency with which they use their diets. Nutritional quality of diets can be improved by heat treatment to increase digestibility of starch and protein. Some plant materials (e.g. soya beans and peas) contain naturally occurring anti-nutritional factors that need to be inactivated by heat.

Feeding systems based on the provision of partial mixed rations (PMR) to grazing dairy cows present the dairy industry with opportunities for improved production and feed efficiency, but also with significant challenges. Early research results are beginning to define the situations in which PMR systems are profitable and the mechanisms responsible for the improved milk responses. This review focuses on the role of PMR in temperate dairying regions of Australia, highlights initial research findings, and identifies some of the gaps in knowledge that warrant further research.

Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy is currently used sparingly for the quality control of feed ingredients and feeds, greatly under-utilizing the potential of this technology. Recent advances in hardware and software allow NIR to be used real-time and in-line in the procurement of feed ingredients and the formulation of animal feeds. This could deliver multi-million dollar savings for the animal feed industry worldwide.

Equine laminitis is the painful condition that ponies and horses suffer when the tissues underlying the hoof break down, and high insulin levels or insulin resistance are implicated as a cause. This review examines how dietary factors may lead to insulin resistance and/or excessive insulin production, and why pony breeds and some types of horses are more predisposed to this form of laminitis. It may be possible with careful dietary modification to prevent excessive insulin levels and thereby reduce the risk of laminitis.

To feed ourselves and our pets in the future, it may be necessary to explore novel sources of protein, such as the common aquatic plant (duckweed) included in dog diets in this experiment. Duckweed proved palatable, but not as easily digested as the corn and maize gluten that it replaced; and it also resulted in firmer stools. Duckweed is a sustainable and renewable resource; however, to be commercially viable for the pet food industry, improvements in processing technology are needed.

Replacing urea with nitrate improved the rate of clean wool growth and reduced methane production. The addition of nitrate and sulfur to a total mixed diet increased clean wool production and reduced methane production.

With a growing demand for free-range poultry products producers will need to address the issues that contribute to the performance gap between the free-range and conventional systems to remain cost-effective. Factors such as range use and enrichment, pasture consumption, and its effects on nutrition and health should be considered and quantified. This review will summarise current knowledge in these areas and propose solutions and opportunities for the future.

The paper reviews estimation methods for measuring pasture intake of individual grazing animals, in particular the use of indigestible plant markers. Using known labelled supplement intakes as a means of estimating the intake of all other diet components avoids the need to dose animals separately with synthetic alkanes. The results, problems and possible workarounds for a commercial system under development by Sapien Technology and Proway Livestock are described.

Many Australian perennial shrubs are adapted to a variable climate and difficult environments, and can complement conventional pastures to better manage feed gaps. This study evaluated the nutritive value of 39 shrub species, and quantified diet selection and performance of sheep grazing a ‘shrub system’ in a crop–livestock zone of southern Australia. Perennial shrubs added nutritional value to a mixed feedbase, and allowed sheep to gain weight during autumn without supplementary feeding, indicating a role in increasing productivity and reducing risk in grazing systems.

Net energy values of raw materials are derived from prediction equations that take into account energy lost as wasted heat. The equations are produced by measuring heat produced in birds fed diets varying in nutrients and other chemical components. The use of a net energy system to formulate broiler feeds has the potential for significant cost savings.

This article reviews previous studies that have investigated the relationship between vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in ruminants and laboratory animals. The focus of the review concerns demonstrating the potential of vitamin D to be used for improving the mineral status of cattle in rangeland environments.