Currently, the main objective of animal and agricultural scientists is to ensure biological efficiency. However, cheap food is no longer the main concern of people in the West. Other issues are taken into account when purchasing food: quality of life (including health and safety of foods; nutritional value; traditional, regional, locally produced, and organic foods; animal welfare; sustainable farming, environment, and rural resources. This paper illustrates how some recent unethical behaviour has caused the credibility of animal scientist to be lost. A new ‘Quality of Life Agricultural Era’ needs to be promoted with changes in research, teaching and application of animal and agricultural science (especially biotechnology), in order to replace the ‘Era of Intensification’. Animal scientists could be at the forefront of promoting and implementing this new agricultural ideology, with new assumptions, beliefs and leadership that will contribute to the emerging social agenda of the 21st century.