Digitally altered image of cow and sheep with DNA coil in background.

CSIRO provided international leadership in the decoding of the cattle and sheep genomes.

Rural productivity

Our collaborative research is driving productivity gains in Australia’s northern cattle and southern sheep enterprises.

  • 12 October 2010 | Updated 3 July 2012

Feeding the world

Our growing world population is predicted to reach about nine billion in 2050.

This growth will occur mainly in the developing world and will, together with predicted income growth in these countries, lead to increased demand for animal protein.

Sustaining an increasing animal population to satisfy the demand for animal products may influence the:

  • economic opportunities for families, communities and countries
  • risks of infectious diseases among animals and between animals and humans
  • availability of land for human occupation, energy production or recreation
  • status of land and the environment
  • our ability to produce livestock and animals in an ethical way.

Our research

Our research aims to increase the competitiveness of the Australian livestock sector by: 

  • improving the efficiency and sustainability of animal production
  • adapting technologies and services to the needs of expanding markets
  • developing effective strategies to reduce methane emissions from livestock
  • providing livestock breeders and buyers with greater certainty about the genetic worth and predicted breeding values of animals
  • providing evidence-based advice to inform welfare regulations, guidelines and codes of practice used in Australian livestock production.

Our research on livestock sustainability and production is based on the latest developments in a range of fields including genetics, genomics, microbiology, metagenomics, nutrition, nutrigenomics and physiology.

Bovine genome decoded

Breakthrough research into the genetic blueprint of the domestic cow could lead to major improvements in Australia's farming industry.

Reducing livestock methane emissions

CSIRO is undertaking an extensive research program to develop practical solutions for reducing methane emissions from livestock such as sheep and cattle.

Animals in research

Research involving animals is an important public issue. Find out why and how animals are involved in CSIRO research, and read about CSIRO’s procedures to safeguard the welfare of animals in research.

Find out more about our research in Animal, Food and Health Sciences.