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Letter from the director

Research is considered one of the core activities of many land-grant universities. At CAHFS, we believe that the scientific method, and answers generated through hypothesis-driven research, are the cornerstone for transformation, development, and growth.

Over the last 10,000 years or so, pigs and humans have developed a close relationship. Ever since pigs were first domesticated, swine production has played a key role in sustaining human populations.

For millennia, humankind has used antibiotics to treat infections empirically, even before knowing those infections were caused by bacteria—or that bacteria existed. Yet, as antimicrobials have flourished, so too has antimicrobial resistance in bacteria, leading to a prediction that by 2050 over 10 million people will die annually due to AMR.

One of the most important challenges humankind faces today is the expected increase in population size, with projections—supported by the United Nations—that the world population will reach the 9 billion mark by the year 2050. Population growth will consequently lead to an unprecedented increase in food demand. Although all food animal industries will continue to work to prepare and adapt to satisfy that demand, consensus is that aquaculture will play a significant role in the future of food security.

As I am attending the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul with a stunning view of the Mississippi river, I am reflecting on change and these words from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus come to mind: “No man ever steps in the same river twice.”