By Tracy Sellers

As farmers and ranchers face challenges such as a changing climate, resource scarcity and the pressure to feed an ever-growing population, they also find themselves intertwined more than ever with the technology industry, as both look to find sustainable and feasible solutions for our food system.

Agricultural producers face many pressures and challenges. With a growing population that will demand more food, and a strained climate that requires attention and adjustment of practices, it is difficult to know right from wrong and fact from fiction. 

Dr. Frank Mitloehner and CLEAR Center staff and students attended the World Pork Expo in early June. Held in Des Moines Iowa, producers, researchers, industry businesses and reporters from around the world spent two days connecting and learning about the current state and future possibilities for the pork industry. 

Consumers have constantly evolving preferences and expectations when shopping for meat. Recent legislation, such as Proposition 12, demonstrates just how dedicated consumers are to understanding how their meat was raised and ensuring it aligns with their values. 

As a society, we have a strong understanding of how to prevent the spread of germs. We wash our hands, clean our spaces, seal our food and stay home if we are sick. Pork producers implement similar practices on their farms to keep their herds healthy. 

Technological advancements continue to shift the pork industry. While not new to producers, data is integral to furthering sustainable pork farming. Producers are experienced in recording data on various aspects of their operations — feed use, litter size, rate of gain and the list goes on — to ensure they run efficient and cost-effective operations.