US Beef Cattle Inventory Trends With Implications for Land Use and Rangelands

The US beef industry faces multiple challenges to social sustainability and community security, manifesting differently across regions, states, communities, and operations. Using industry-related economic data, we explore a spatial history leading to the current relationship between the number of cattle and the number and size of producers. Cattle inventory alongside beef production data provides evidence of how the industry has become more efficient. Considering inventory by region and sector allows a more nuanced understanding. At the broadest scale, we document trends of cattle moving northward to the central part of the country as well as into more concentrated operations. Animals are not dispersed equally across various cattle production operations. Over time, the beef industry has changed to include fewer total operations and a greater proportion of smaller cattle operations. Again, there is notable spatial variation, with a greater proportion of large ranches in western regions compared with eastern regions. The combination of cattle inventory and operation size – the tension between resilience and efficiency – will affect the trajectory, viability, and security of the industry. One of the most defining features of the industry is the diversity of operations that enables the industry to thrive in the face of evolving challenges. Amidst these challenges and the shifting structure of beef production, millions of acres of grazing lands face potential land-use changes, with increased stock densities in some areas and loss of grazing animals in others. Understanding historical and spatial trends in cattle inventories and operations allows cattle producers and industry partners to better face risk implications and adapt to changes in regional production and marketing infrastructure, with clear implications for rangeland management needs.