Mark TapperAgron 342July 6 2009

Animal Agriculture in Developing Countries

Animal agriculture or livestock production provides much more than meat and fertilizer The following is a small list of the many benefits and direct contributions that livestock production gives to developing nations around the world Moving down the list you can see many obvious benefits including fiber fertilizer and food as well as more not as obvious including savings and cash Livestock production allows farmers to have more control over their assets Cows for example can reproduce multiple times whereas more vegetative crops are annuals This allows for larger lsquoreproducible assetsrsquo for multiple years Selling livestock above break-even costs gives farmers buying power in their community money to pay for another crop season money to buy food and more importantly power and control over their assets and livelihoods Livestock production also provides developing farmers with transportation and employment opportunities Farming shapes communities and cultures Livestock are also adaptable creatures which is extremely important in lower-input sustainable farming cycles

There are two main types of livestock production solely livestock and mixed or diversified farming For this definition the size of the farm does not matter only the amount of farm value directly related to livestock production Organic agriculture is an all-natural form of livestock production which can have lower variable costs and when marketed as lsquoorganicrsquo can provide premium prices Any livestock systems can be lsquoorganicrsquo or lsquonaturallyrsquo produced without use of chemical or other un-organic production practices

Biotechnology is defined by International Livestock Centre for Africa as ldquoany technique that uses living organisms or substances from such organisms to make or modify a product to improve plants or animals or to develop micro-organisms for specific purposesldquo Biotechnology in the developing world has helped to increase agricultural productivity protect the environment and improve health all while considering and maximizing production constraints While the developing world has the highest improvement potential there are also many possible hindrances that have slowed the technological advancements in the developing world

The developing world has many challenges associated with livestock production One of the most obvious is the increasing population which increases the demand This issue has a domino effect with small developing farmers paying the highest price More demand for livestock products causes more competition for current products in the global market which will be talked about in more detail later on in the presentation Sustainability is another issues for livestock producers as well as environmental issues and climate change Production issues are most definitely at the top of the list of pressing issues and challenges for developing livestock producers Knowledge about production feed

availability marketing health and overall efficiency are some of the many production issues that plague developing farmers

Industrialized Agriculture according to the German NGO Forum of Environment amp Development is defined as the ldquomass production of genetically uniform high-yielding breedsrdquo The negative implications on the developing livestock production include decreasing biodiversity a shift of focus to money instead of sustainability flooding of markets leading to lower prices and developed countries undermining developing nationsrsquo local production The ldquoLivestock Revolutionrdquo has increased the consumption of meat and milk which has led to increased production of livestock as well as increased the vitality of efficient production Some of the potential negative effects on developing countries include increased dependence on imported grain industrialized agricultural production may squeeze out subsistence farmers drop in rural incomes and employment increased rural migration to cities decreased livestock biodiversity and increased environmental issues

So what are the ethical implications of livestock production in the developing world When looked at as the developed nations versus developing nations you can compare it to a monster truck versus an ant According to the natural law the strong will dominate the weak Industrialized agriculture will dominate the lsquoweakrsquo sustainable livestock practices Industrial agriculture can also be viewed in the categorical imperative manner developed countries have has major success with their mass production therefore everyone should do the same and will have the same successes Livestock production could also be viewed from a utilitarian perspective The overall goal of livestock production is to produce the most fastest and lsquomostrsquo efficiently without regard to what some consider more efficient smaller-scale subsistence agriculture Another ethical view of animal agriculture would be autonomy versus paternalism The lsquowiserrsquo parent aka developed countries should make the decisions for the naiumlve child aka developing nations versus all countries should make their own decisions

Whether or not livestock production is causing or eradicating hunger there are things that can be done to help sustainable farmers in developing nations become more self-reliant and overall more efficient and knowledgeable Most importantly we should help people help themselves This can be done through politics economics and most efficiently by teaching farmers and supporting them Allowing these farmers to take control of their own lives and local economies will have lasting effects on livestock production globally

ReferencesGerman NGO Forum Environment amp Development ldquoLivestock Production in the South (leaflet)rdquo 2001 httpwwwforum-uede580htmlamptx_ttnews5Btt_news5D=208amptx_ttnews5BbackPid5D=43ampcHash=9805659135 Accessed on 5 July 2009Kruska RL RS Reid PK Thornton N Henninger PM Kristjanson ldquoMapping livestock-oriented agricultural production systems for the developing worldrdquo Agricultural Systems 77 39-63 2003 httpciteseerxistpsueduviewdocdownloaddoi=1011120343amprep=rep1amptype=pdf Assessed on 5 July 2009Rege JEO ldquoBiotechnology options for improving livestock production in developing countries with special reference to sub-Saharan Africardquo International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) httpwwwfaoorgwairdocsilrix5473bx5473b05htm Assessed on 3 July 2009 Stockdale EA NH Lampkin M Hovi R Keatinge EKM Lennartsson DW MacDonald S Padel FH Tattersall MS Wolfe CA Watson ldquoAgronomic and environmental implications of organic farming systemsrdquo Advances in Agronomy 70 261-262 2001 httpmd1csacompartnersviewrecordphprequester=gsampcollection=TRDamprecid=200807350063737CEampq=ampuid=787414183ampsetcookie=yes Assessed on 3 July 2009Tilman D K G Cassman P A Matson R Maylor S Polasky ldquoAgricultural Sustainability and Intensive Production Practicesrdquo Nature 418 671-677 8 August 2002 httpwwwnaturecomnaturejournalv418n6898fullnature01014html Assessed on 5 July 2009

availability marketing health and overall efficiency are some of the many production issues that plague developing farmers

Industrialized Agriculture according to the German NGO Forum of Environment amp Development is defined as the ldquomass production of genetically uniform high-yielding breedsrdquo The negative implications on the developing livestock production include decreasing biodiversity a shift of focus to money instead of sustainability flooding of markets leading to lower prices and developed countries undermining developing nationsrsquo local production The ldquoLivestock Revolutionrdquo has increased the consumption of meat and milk which has led to increased production of livestock as well as increased the vitality of efficient production Some of the potential negative effects on developing countries include increased dependence on imported grain industrialized agricultural production may squeeze out subsistence farmers drop in rural incomes and employment increased rural migration to cities decreased livestock biodiversity and increased environmental issues

So what are the ethical implications of livestock production in the developing world When looked at as the developed nations versus developing nations you can compare it to a monster truck versus an ant According to the natural law the strong will dominate the weak Industrialized agriculture will dominate the lsquoweakrsquo sustainable livestock practices Industrial agriculture can also be viewed in the categorical imperative manner developed countries have has major success with their mass production therefore everyone should do the same and will have the same successes Livestock production could also be viewed from a utilitarian perspective The overall goal of livestock production is to produce the most fastest and lsquomostrsquo efficiently without regard to what some consider more efficient smaller-scale subsistence agriculture Another ethical view of animal agriculture would be autonomy versus paternalism The lsquowiserrsquo parent aka developed countries should make the decisions for the naiumlve child aka developing nations versus all countries should make their own decisions

Whether or not livestock production is causing or eradicating hunger there are things that can be done to help sustainable farmers in developing nations become more self-reliant and overall more efficient and knowledgeable Most importantly we should help people help themselves This can be done through politics economics and most efficiently by teaching farmers and supporting them Allowing these farmers to take control of their own lives and local economies will have lasting effects on livestock production globally

ReferencesGerman NGO Forum Environment amp Development ldquoLivestock Production in the South (leaflet)rdquo 2001 httpwwwforum-uede580htmlamptx_ttnews5Btt_news5D=208amptx_ttnews5BbackPid5D=43ampcHash=9805659135 Accessed on 5 July 2009Kruska RL RS Reid PK Thornton N Henninger PM Kristjanson ldquoMapping livestock-oriented agricultural production systems for the developing worldrdquo Agricultural Systems 77 39-63 2003 httpciteseerxistpsueduviewdocdownloaddoi=1011120343amprep=rep1amptype=pdf Assessed on 5 July 2009Rege JEO ldquoBiotechnology options for improving livestock production in developing countries with special reference to sub-Saharan Africardquo International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) httpwwwfaoorgwairdocsilrix5473bx5473b05htm Assessed on 3 July 2009 Stockdale EA NH Lampkin M Hovi R Keatinge EKM Lennartsson DW MacDonald S Padel FH Tattersall MS Wolfe CA Watson ldquoAgronomic and environmental implications of organic farming systemsrdquo Advances in Agronomy 70 261-262 2001 httpmd1csacompartnersviewrecordphprequester=gsampcollection=TRDamprecid=200807350063737CEampq=ampuid=787414183ampsetcookie=yes Assessed on 3 July 2009Tilman D K G Cassman P A Matson R Maylor S Polasky ldquoAgricultural Sustainability and Intensive Production Practicesrdquo Nature 418 671-677 8 August 2002 httpwwwnaturecomnaturejournalv418n6898fullnature01014html Assessed on 5 July 2009

ReferencesGerman NGO Forum Environment amp Development ldquoLivestock Production in the South (leaflet)rdquo 2001 httpwwwforum-uede580htmlamptx_ttnews5Btt_news5D=208amptx_ttnews5BbackPid5D=43ampcHash=9805659135 Accessed on 5 July 2009Kruska RL RS Reid PK Thornton N Henninger PM Kristjanson ldquoMapping livestock-oriented agricultural production systems for the developing worldrdquo Agricultural Systems 77 39-63 2003 httpciteseerxistpsueduviewdocdownloaddoi=1011120343amprep=rep1amptype=pdf Assessed on 5 July 2009Rege JEO ldquoBiotechnology options for improving livestock production in developing countries with special reference to sub-Saharan Africardquo International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) httpwwwfaoorgwairdocsilrix5473bx5473b05htm Assessed on 3 July 2009 Stockdale EA NH Lampkin M Hovi R Keatinge EKM Lennartsson DW MacDonald S Padel FH Tattersall MS Wolfe CA Watson ldquoAgronomic and environmental implications of organic farming systemsrdquo Advances in Agronomy 70 261-262 2001 httpmd1csacompartnersviewrecordphprequester=gsampcollection=TRDamprecid=200807350063737CEampq=ampuid=787414183ampsetcookie=yes Assessed on 3 July 2009Tilman D K G Cassman P A Matson R Maylor S Polasky ldquoAgricultural Sustainability and Intensive Production Practicesrdquo Nature 418 671-677 8 August 2002 httpwwwnaturecomnaturejournalv418n6898fullnature01014html Assessed on 5 July 2009