A. Livestock agriculture and animal welfare.

Animal welfare is the significant area of public concern, with acceptance of animal
sentience enshrined in our legislation. Historically, animal welfare concerns have been
directed primarily at farmed livestock, with increasing awareness and unease at the
intensification and confinement of animals.

The common concerns are inadequate and inappropriate methods of nutrition, especially
feeding the pigs, which may lead to gastric ulceration and high metabolic rate. According
to the opinion of the experts, lack of knowledge, training, skills, or expertise in animal
behaviour and welfare, access to knowledgeable veterinary care, are the complex issues
(Lang, Connor and Bacon, 2020).

As per Horseman et al. (2016), stock people may not recognize the subtle behavioural
indicators of pain and the management procedures; they remain unobserved or consider it
relatively trivial, despite considerable research. The causes of the pain could be common
diseases, physical trauma, and through the imposition of painful management procedures.

Lameness and mobility issues arise from selection for rapid growth in pigs and broilers,
footpad dermatitis in poultry, infectious agents in sheep and poor claw health in cattle. A
number of studies have provided good evidence for the suffering caused by these issues.
Concern for the early separation of young livestock from its mothers, like-early weaning
in piglets, additionally contribute to the priority given to this matter.

Annually, millions of animals are caught for breeding in captivity for the wildlife trade.
They are traded as exotic pets, entertainment, food, skins, medicinal objects, and for
biomedical research. National and international trade has increased rapidly worldwide.
There are few laws to protect these animals, where regulations exist, they are rarely
enforced or the penalties are minor. As the existing law in India, stipulates a penalty
between Rs 10 and Rs 50 for any act of cruelty such as beating, kicking, torturing, starving,
overloading, overriding and mutilating an animal.

B. LIVESTOCK AGRICULTURE AND ECOLOGY

 Ecology is the interaction of organisms with their physical environment. Livestock
farming is detrimental to the environment, being one of the leading causes of the water
pollution, air pollution and biodiversity loss.

1. Water Pollution from Animal agriculture

The 2.5% of fresh water available on our planet is depleting rapidly. About 1/3rd of it is used
for rearing livestock and manufacturing animal products as reported by Steinfeld and Gerber
(2006). The main causes of water pollution are animal excreta, antibiotics and hormones,
fertilizers and pesticides used in forage production (FAO, 2017). The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) declared that animal parts and poultry manure are major sources of
water pollution all over the world. Similarly in India, watering the crops for farm animals,
cleaning away the filth from farms, lorries, and slaughterhouses, dairy industries put a serious
damage on the water supply. According to the Water Footprint Network, 322 litres of water is
required to produce 1 kilogram of vegetables but it takes 1,020 litres of water to produce 1
litre of cows’ milk; 3,265 litres of water for 1 kilogram of eggs; and 15,415 litres of water to
produce 1 kilogram of beef.

2. Greenhouse gas impact from Animal agriculture

According to Gerber et al. (2013), the livestock sector is the primary source of GHG
emissions, like-Methane (CH4), Nitrogen Dioxide (N2O) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
CH4 contributes the most to anthropogenic GHG emissions (44%), followed by N 2O (29%)
and CO2 (27%). Leguminous feed crops, enteric fermentation, Indirect emissions from feed
crops, manure application, farm operations, livestock products processing, transportation, and
land- use allocation for livestock production results in greenhouse gas emission.
At the same time, climate change affects livestock production by lowering their productivity;
affecting the quality of feeds, spreading livestock diseases and heat stress. (Steinfeld et al,
2006 and Thornton et al., 2009).

3. Biodiversity/Deforestation by Animal agriculture

Forests are the natural home of more than 70 per cent of the world’s plant and animal
species. Many species of animals and plants are becoming extinct, or on the brink of
extinction because of deforestation. The conversion of forests into agricultural land
and livestock ranches is one of the major causes. One to two acres of rainforests are
cleared every second for animal rearing and agriculture (Down to Earth factsheet).
Ranthambhore National Park of Rajasthan is depleting at an alarming rate owing to
deforestation due to grazing pressure, fuelwood, shrinking of flora and fauna
generating threat to the quality of life and economy of the tribes.

This intersecting nature of animals and climate rings a bell for stakeholders
from both the field.
 C. LIVESTOCK AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH

A report published by the Pew Commission highlights how close contact with animals
facilitates the exchange and evolution of pathogens and how stress- induced by dense
confinement increases the likelihood of infection and illness in animals. The recent COVID
pandemic and growing incidents of other zoonotic diseases like bird flu, swine flu, and other
challenges have laid a fragile relationship between animals and public health. Food-borne
illness takes place from disease agents such as salmonella and E. coli or contaminants that
enter the food chain during the production and processing of animal-based foods. These
illnesses and their management create problems for everyone.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a considerable public health problem globally. While all
types of AMR are concerning, antibacterial resistance (ABR) is seen as currently posing the
most serious health threat. Bacteria are present everywhere, including in every living being
and the soil, water, and air. With interconnected ecosystems (humans, animals, the
environment), the exchange of bacteria is continuous, and thus the ABR problem is no longer
limited to medical science alone. It requires effective collaboration among several disciplines.

Consumption of livestock products is one of the major dietary risk factors for non-
communicable disease incidence and mortality. The consumption of meat and animal fats
increases the risks of cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory
diseases (Chung and Liu, 2019).

The health of the livestock? India is the largest producer of milk in the world. To sustain the
high milk production target, milch animals are overexploited resulting in cruel dairy
practices. These cruel practices reduce the average lifespan of dairy cattle and increase the
risk of reproductive diseases under udder infections. The life of a dairy cow lasts for an
average of 10years in a dairy establishment as compared to 25 naturally (Dairy
Report_FIAPO, 2019)

Is it possible to ensure a long and healthy lifestyle of the population with access to nutritious
food without the mass slaughter of animals?
D. LIVESTOCK AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FOOD RIGHTS.

Production of food from animals has accelerated during the last 100 years, in response to the
growing demand. All over the world, approximately 70 billion animals are reared as domestic
animals annually- with more than 6 million animals killed for food per year and
approximately 56 billion mammals and birds slaughtered each year. According to a report by
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global meat consumption has doubled during
the period 1980–2002. According to future prophecy, global meat production is expected to
double from 229 million tons in 1999 to 465 million tons by 2050 as per FAO (2006). Milk
production is expected to increase from 580 to 1043 million tons. Besides the humane aspects
associated with the rearing and slaughtering conditions of animals in the food industry, the
great increase in the consumption of animal products has a most severe impact. (Dopelt,
Radon and Davidovitch 2019)

If we look into the debate of Food vs. Feed, not all cropland is utilized for producing food
directly for people. A lot of food crop grown are actually used as feed for livestock.
Conversion of the crop to meat is not particularly efficient; ex. 30pounds of crop feed is
required for a single pound of beef. So, if the global demand for meat rises, cropland devoted
to growing animal feed will have to increase proportionately. What effect will this have on
the cost of meat, crops, and our diet?

A Nutrient profile study by Rizzo and Sabate (2013) illustrates that plant-based dietary
patterns or diets restricted in animal products are associated with both lower cardio-metabolic
risk and lower coronary heart disease event rates whereas, energy-dense nutrients such as
total fat, saturated fat, and trans-fat have often been associated with higher rates of vascular
disease, highest in non vegetarian. In addition, vegetarians had higher intakes of fibre in the
form of fibre-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts which has been associated with
lower rates of several chronic diseases. Though, higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids in pesco
vegetarians is protective, as these fatty acids have been associated with lower rates of sudden
cardiac deaths.

Marked differences in BMI were also observed. Strict vegetarians have a mean BMI value
(24.0 kg/m2) below the cut-off point (25.0 kg/m 2). There was a lucid association between
higher proportions of obesity, higher mean levels of BMI, and dietary patterns characterized
by progressively higher intakes of meat and dairy products. The contrast was stark when
comparing non vegetarians who had a 33.3% prevalence of obesity and an adjusted mean
BMI of 28.6 with strict vegetarians who had a 9.4% obesity rate and an adjusted mean BMI
of 24.1 reiterated by (Rizzo and Sabate 2013).

Aquaculture??

E. LIVESTOCK AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS/LIVELIHOODS.

Farmers are the major part of the food System, with the sheer hard work they grow the crops
with the help of livestock such as cows, sheep, goats and chickens, which have many roles in
the farm ecosystem. They eat corn and hay grown on the farm, provide milk, eggs, wool and
meat for human consumption, and their waste can fertilize the land. The intensive animal
agricultural operations demand for raising many billions of animals.

Densely populated livestock farming areas are the hub of harmful bacteria, viruses, and air
pollutants. The studies discussed that farmers are examples of infectious diseases, transmitted
from animals to humans, and this transmission of bacteria is resistant to antibiotics. It is well
acknowledged that people living close to livestock farms exhibit air pollutants that may affect
the airways, such as fine dust and ammonia.

India has about 1.34 billion people and is expected to peak at about 1.7 billion in the 2060s.
Feeding this enormous population is a major challenge. There are hurdles like- water scarcity,
pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change and the bigger challenge is incorporating the
interests of nonhuman animals as legitimate recipients of moral concern. The stress and
distress associated with these new farming conditions heighten animals’ vulnerability to
diseases.

Meanwhile, a deepening agrarian crisis demonstrates that those growing our food aren’t
benefiting from increased demand. India, being the 2nd largest producer in the farm output,
but an average Indian farmer earns just Rs 77,124 in a year, translating to Rs 6,427 monthly,
barely enough to cover the average monthly expenditure of Rs 6,223.

Slightlys 10,281 persons involved in the farm sector ended their lives in 2019, accounting for
7.4 per cent of the total number of suicides in India which was 139,516, suggests the
Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report 2019 by the National Crime Records Bureau.

Animal Labour is another area of concern for animal activists. The human use of animal
labour for their livelihood has been a site of intense instrumentalization and exploitation On
other hand, some scholars argue that this work can be a site of cooperation, mutual
flourishing, and shared social membership between humans and animals, and that
recognizing animals as ‘workers’ could have a transformative effect on the relationships with
them as long as they are treated and cared well. For many years, animals have been used to
pull farm machinery and carry soldiers in wars. Donkey, horse, camel and mule are used for
transportation. Dogs are used in police agencies; their ability to sniff out a scent makes them
useful for detecting explosives or for delivering messages and in rescue missions.