How will the world feed a global population of billions by the year 2050?
This is one of the questions that the Department of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech discussed with counterparts from the University of São Paulo. They met during a symposium earlier this year in Brazil on topics such as animal welfare and productivity.
Brazilian farmers have “enormous potential when it comes to feeding a good part of the world,” said David Gerrard, head of the Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences at Virginia Tech.
The warm climate year-round in Brazil allows farmers to produce more than one corn crop per year, while farmers in the U.S. produce corn once a year in the summer. Brazil also already has double the cattle compared to the U.S.
Saulo da Luz e Silva, head of the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of São Paulo, stated that both the U.S. and Brazil “are major players in the global food market,” specifically 
in beef. “The union of this knowledge will have an important impact on the productive systems of both countries and, consequently, on the world,” he affirmed.
“Many of the problems we face in the U.S. are similar to those faced in Brazil,” said Bain Wilson, Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist at Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech looks forward to the next phase of collaboration between the U.S. and Brazil. Scientists and graduate students are leaving the University of São Paulo for Virginia Tech to continue their research.
“While the U.S. may be ahead in some issues, Brazil is ahead in others. We will collaborate with the Brazilians to enhance the work of both countries aimed at improving animal welfare,” said Erica Feuerbacher, specialist.