Looking to the Future

How Poultry Research is Helping Meet Tomorrow’s Challenges in Industry, Animal and Human Health Care, and Biosecurity

The poultry industry faces, and will continue to face, multiple challenges brought on both by the everyday demands of the industry and by broader changes in society at large. Some of these changes, such as the domestic threat of terrorism, add not only a new dimension of concern, but also a heightened sense of urgency about the need for solutions.

The Poultry Science Association (PSA) is well positioned to help. A global scientific society dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge generated by poultry research, PSA’s member scientists and researchers are doing work that will help meet these challenges.

For Example:

• Animal Welfare – Increasing pressure from animal welfare groups about live production techniques has drawn attention to the need for developing improved animal welfare monitoring systems and more active, consumer-directed education initiatives.
• Food-Borne Pathogens – The industry will continue to feel pressure from both consumers and government agencies to lower incidents of pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter in raw poultry products. This will require research in grow-out processing and packaging to further reduce incidents.
• Restrictions on the Use of Antibiotics – Addressing restrictions on the use of antibiotics for both therapeutic and sub-therapeutic purposes will require the development of alternatives to antibiotics for health management and enhanced performance.
• Biosecurity Concerns – The “shrinking” of the planet through globalization and increasing concerns about terrorism have combined to make the issue of biosecurity one of critical importance. Addressing this issue will call for the development of improved biosecurity systems to enhance food safety and security, and to maintain control of threats such as avian influenza and infectious laryngotracheitis as they impact international trade.
• Better Environmental Management – The increasing urbanization of agricultural land has created greater demand for improved environmental management of waste resources and air quality in urban areas. Addressing these concerns will require the development of improved systems for reducing phosphorus and nitrogen excreted in poultry waste and nitrogen released in air emissions.
• Poultry Research and Human Health – Poultry research has made a number of contributions to our understanding of medical conditions in humans, and to human health care generally. Today’s poultry researchers are seeking alternative uses of poultry in research models – for example, the use of poultry in the development of nutraceuticals for enhanced human health.