Characterizing the physiological and genetic drivers of feed efficiency in beef cattle: the BEEFALIM 2020 program

In the current context of high feed costs and the impact of beef production on climate change, feed efficiency is a key factor in both the economic and environmental sustainability of beef cattle farming. In addition, the use of cellulosic feedstuffs by cattle, which are ineligible for human consumption and help maintain grasslands and associated environmental services, also represents a major challenge, particularly in young cattle fattening systems. In order to study the physiological and genetic drivers of feed efficiency in beef cattle, while taking into account the fact that the beef industry relies on different types of animals (young cattle for fattening, but also herds of mothers and renewal heifers) and different types of feed, a vast research program has been carried out. The program, entitled BEEFALIM 2020, ran from 2013 to 2021 and generated a wealth of scientific knowledge. This introductory article presents the structure and objectives of BEEFALIM 2020, describes the experimental designs used and summarizes the main findings of the program, as a preamble to the three scientific articles, which report the results in detail.