1.0 Introduction
Animal agriculture is defined as the practice of breeding animals for the production of animal product purposes (MacLachlan, 2016). Animal agriculture is a continuous expanding industry globally. The quest for intensification in livestock farming has thundered ahead with little regard for sustainability and overall efficiency (Eisler, 2014). Because of this little regard of sustainability; there have been many issues and problems which have been risen due to the mass production of animal farming locally in Australia and also world-wide. The two major issues that are continuous problem; is water usage and waste and also deforestation. The agriculture sector is the largest user of fresh water resources. In 2000, animal agriculture accounted for seventy percent of water use of water use and ninety-three per cent of water depletion worldwide (Kirby M. , 2013). Water is a necessity resource that needs to be used in farming, from growing grain for feed and for animals to drink. It takes roughly 9084 litres of water to produce one pound of beef meat (Kirby, 2015). Two acres of rain forest are cleared each minute to raise cattle or the crops to feed them (Simon, 2015). Agriculture is estimated to be the direct driver for around 80% of deforestation worldwide (Wageningen University and Research Centre, 2014).
2.0 Water Consumption
Water consumption is a major issue in animal agriculture, it is an abused resource in animal farming and needs to be considered as a
In the book Animal Farm the animals take over the farm shutting out Mr. Jones. Then the pigs tell the animals that they are more intelligent and know how to read and write so therefore they should be the leaders of the farm. The animals basically a agree without any objections in play. This doesn’t include Snowball and Napoleon. These two are always fighting and debating about what needs to be done. Which all leads to the pigs gaining power.
Why did cattle ranching develop on the Great Plains? Cattle ranching developed on the Great Plains because vast fortunes were made. The cattle industry was based on some very important factors which were wild cattle, wild horses, and grass. These factors made cattle ranching very profitable, but however, for the cattle barons the bonanza didn’t last forever. In the North the market for beef was growing huge, and that meant ranching was a good way to live.
The horse is a highly respected animal in United States culture. It has been worshipped and paid tribute to through art, books (Misty of Chincoteague, Black Stallion), movies (Black Beauty, Spirit), and television shows (Mr. Ed). The horse industry is huge in the United States, encompassing everything from rodeos and racing to horses owned for purely pleasure. There have been statues erected of famous racehorses, as well as museums devoted entirely to equines. "Horse culture" is a huge part of American culture. The slaughter of horses for human consumption does not seem to fit into that culture. However, despite initial reservations, many Americans may agree that the slaughter of horses is better than alternatives.
If that isn’t enough, the Amazon rainforest is being affected by beef production; four-fifths of the deforestation is due to cattle ranching (Scheer). This is because there needs to be room for the livestock to roam and crops to feed the animals. There isn’t enough space for humans and our livestock since reported by Suzanne Rice, writer for the Journal of Thought, “30 percent of the earth’s ice-free land is... involved in livestock production” (Rice 118). 30 percent doesn’t leave us with much and it is no wonder we are deforesting these rainforests. However, although cattle seems to be the most detrimental livestock factor to the environmental problem, they are not alone.
History has shown that once our ecology is disrupted and our natural resources are gone, we will start dying off. In order to avoid this fate, we must act now. Our next step to recovery will be with our livestock. I understand that human life carries more worth than that of livestock. However, we cannot succeed without our livestock. We must first restore the health of our livestock in order to prosper. We cannot afford to lose any more livestock and that starts now. We initially give the highest regard to our livestock. The livestock will not go without ample feeding and clean water. We have to restore our livestock population has in both health and numbers.
Imagine that Christ meant these words literally. Imagine that accepting Christ as your personal savior required lunching with him. Of course, if Christ were coming over today for lunch, you would probably dust, vacuum, adjust the pictures on the walls, pick your best outfit, comb your hair, jot down a few questions about heaven. But what would the two of you eat? Would you serve Christ fried chicken? How would you feel about setting a plate of steaming, sizzling pork chops in front of your savior? A few hard-boiled eggs wouldn't hurt, right? Maybe a glass of milk to wash it all down?
Before we can talk about how animal agriculture waste shapes our environment, we must first know exactly what it is and how much of it there is.
This article discusses how the consumption and production of meat and dairy is one of leading causes of habitat destruction and quick action needs to be taken to preserve biodiversity. The article analyzes the meat-eating trends in tropical regions of America, Asia, and Africa. It concludes that meat production rates are rapidly increasing, underlying that a 30-50% increase in the land will be needed by 2050 if these patterns continue. Bushmeat consumption in Africa and livestock consumption in China are outlined as special concerns. The main solution proposed is reforming the livestock industry by reducing demand and waste, replacing ecologically inefficient protein sources with better alternatives such as plants or fish, and reintegrate modern livestock production
“This is horrible! I can’t even watch this!” Those were my immediate thoughts the first time my eyes were opened to the inhumane animal cruelty on factory farms. Factory farming enables mass production to supply the demands of today’s society but also enables the cruel treatment of animals. We need to end the cruelty and abuse that these animals have to endure at the factory farms because it causes loss to the business, reduces the quality of the product produced, and endangers the health of those who buy the product. We can promote humane treatment of factory farm animals by prevention through education, by enforcing humane laws by being an example of humane animal treatment, and by donating and/or
There are many different practises and methods available for livestock production, and ultimately it is the choices that farmers make that determines the production’s level of sustainability. The practices of industrial large-scale operations like CAFOs result in both environmental damage as well as health concerns for humans and animals. Depletion, pollution and contamination are the biggest obstacles we face when trying to move toward a more sustainable planet. But when livestock is handled responsibly, with consideration for the environment and potential consequences, it is indeed possible to produce livestock that is beneficial for our planet. Organic and grass-based farming systems such as silvopastoral systems have been proven to increase biodiversity, reverse soil erosion and counteract water depletion. By encouraging farmers to move towards more sustainable methods like these, we can help curb today’s more urgent issues regarding our environment. While there are disagreements between researchers on how to do this, they all agree that we have to take some kind of action to save our planet. Possible ways to achieve this include not consuming meat, or buying meat from local, organic and grass-based farmers to ensure the livestock was raised in a responsible way. If more consumers demanded this type of meat,
When we mention about farm, most of us have this image of a vast green pasture where farmers spend most of their time herding livestock but that idyllic picture is just a thing from the past. Since the 1930s in America, small farms started to wither away, made way to bigger and highly mechanized factory farms. It all traced back to McDonalds and the booming of fast food restaurants (Food, Inc 2008). Fast food restaurants had become successful because they could produce tasty food with cheaper cost. Their franchises eventually made them a multi-million-dollars industry. Big business required big suppliers. Small rural farms cannot meet the demand for supply and they quickly fade away. Farmers were being replaced by corporations in
Is animal husbandry in Texas sustainable in relation to fresh water use and water contamination?
“The UN along with other agencies reported that not only did livestock play a major role in global warming, it is also the leading cause of resource consumption and environmental degradation destroying the planet today.” (Andersen & Kuhn, 2014). It is important, then, to consider the effects of animal agriculture on the environment. This essay will argue that animal agriculture is harmful to the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water- and land use, and that policies in the form of subsidizing plant foods, altering the Canada Food Guide, and creating plant based nutrition coaching and support groups should be enacted to solve these problems. The first section of this paper will outline scholarly literature on the effects of animal agriculture on the environment. This paper will then discuss why a plant based diet is also suitable for optimal health. Finally, this essay will conclude with an overview of the various social policies that must be executed to solve these environmental issues.
Global meat production rose to a new peak of 308.5 million tons in 2013, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a more than fourfold increase over the last five decades. Even more startlingly, meat production has grown 25-fold since 1800 (Horrigan, Lawerence &Walker, 2002). Globally, agriculture utilizes nearly 70 per cent of the world 's available freshwater. One-third of that percentage is used to grow grains to feed to livestock (ECOS, 2014). While the global meat industry provides food and a livelihood for billions of people, it also has significant environmental and health consequences for the planet. Over half of the water used in meat production
With the growing population of the world, demand for food is increasing. This means that Australian farmers are struggling to provide enough food for the global market, and clean water for irrigation is as important as ever. In Australia, agriculture is the largest consumer of water, representing around 70% of our total annual water consumption. Australia is a major exporter of food, particularly wheat and beef, to the rest of the world. In 2009, 60% of Australia's agricultural produce was exported overseas. Overall meat production is expected to double by 2050, meaning that even more pressure will be put on the Australian meat industry. Recent droughts have meant that less water has been allocated to irrigating crops,