Zoetis announced that it has entered a collaboration with Colorado State University’s AgNext to advance research in sustainable animal production. Together, Zoetis and AgNext are poised to shape the future and set new standards for sustainable management practices using animal health and genetic data.

“Beef and dairy producers currently define sustainability as healthy animals that are more productive and are, therefore, more resource-efficient and sustainable animals, which is true. However, specific benchmarks and data have been elusive in the industry,” said Dr. Mike Lormore, head of U.S. cattle and pork technical services for Zoetis. “This research will allow us to obtain specific data to establish baselines and eventually to help producers, veterinarians and nutritionists make more informed decisions to meet sustainability goals.”

The collaboration strives to close data gaps on technology and management practices that can enhance the efficiency of livestock production while ensuring the well-being of animals and addressing the industry's evolving sustainability needs. The first study is focused on establishing baseline greenhouse gas emissions that reflect an industry-typical production environment for fed cattle and accounts for the standard health treatments animals typically receive.

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The second study is a lifecycle assessment of beef and dairy production systems to support industry knowledge of the effect animal genetics and animal health interventions like vaccination and parasite control have on sustainable beef and dairy production.

The U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization found that improving animal health can increase livestock productivity and welfare and ultimately help farmers mitigate emissions and contribute to climate solutions.

"By leveraging animal health technologies and expertise at Zoetis and Colorado State University, we aim to increase the understanding of improved management to sustainability using this animal health data,” said Dr. Kim Stackhouse Lawson, director of AgNext. “This will enable us to develop strategies that enhance animal welfare, environmental stewardship and economic efficiency for livestock producers."

“Zoetis’ animal health experience and genetic capabilities, combined with AgNext's expertise in advancing sustainability in the beef and dairy industries through their impactful research to improve animal health, productivity and environmental stewardship, strengthens this collaboration,” said Shari Westerfeld, vice president, sustainability customer engagement at Zoetis. “This collaborative agreement demonstrates our commitment to support farmers, ranchers and producers in meeting their goals to raise healthy animals, to sustainably provide nutritious foods and meet the growing protein needs of the world's population, now projected to grow to approximately 10 billion people by 2050."

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As a leading global animal health company, Zoetis is driven by advancing care for animals, innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect and treat animal illness to help those raising and caring for animals worldwide – from veterinarians and pet owners to livestock farmers and ranchers. The company offers a portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies in over 100 countries.

AgNext, as a Center for Excellence of Colorado State University, is committed to finding sustainable solutions for animal agriculture. Its focus areas include resiliency, efficiency and regeneracy. AgNext faculty experts work together with members of the entire livestock value chain to complete research with the shared purpose of making agriculture more sustainable by reducing its impact on the environment, improving social well-being and promoting financial resiliency, according to the website.

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