AWSC1 AWSC Scientific Meeting ANIMAL ETHICS AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH OUR LIVESTOCK? Professor JOHN HODGES.

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AWSC Scientific Meeting

ANIMAL ETHICS AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION

WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH OUR LIVESTOCK?

Professor JOHN HODGES

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ETHICS NEW TOPICIN AGRICULTURE

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ETHICS NEW TOPICIN AGRICULTURE

ALSO A NEW TOPIC IN WESTERN SOCIETY

WHY ?

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ETHICS IN PUBLIC DOMAINEuropean Parliament

Ethics Summit

EU Reflection Group on Spiritual and Cultural Dimensions

World BankMoral and Spiritual Values

in Development

European Society for Agricultureand Food Ethics

National Animal Science SocietiesEthic Sessions & Journals

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ETHICS“FEEDING THE WORLD IS A MORAL

NOT AN ECONOMIC ISSUE”NELSON MANDELA

MAY 2004 TO UN

COMMUNITY: EMPOWERING THE WEAK TO HELP THEMSELVES

WITHOUT ETHICS COMMUNITYIS UNSUSTAINABLE

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AGRICULTURE IS CHANGING

HISTORIC ROLE

CAPITALIST RESOURCE

FOUNDATION FOR GLOBAL COMMUNITY ?

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THE CHALLENGE: VALUES

FEED WORLD AND BUILD COMMUNITY

OR

SEE THE CHALLENGE ONLY AS A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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CO-OPERATION AND COMPEITION

IN NATURE AND ECOSYSTEMS

IN ALL SUCCESSFUL HUMAN SOCIETIES

TODAY: COMPETITION RULESSOCIAL DARWINISM

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CONTRASTING POSITIONSON TREATMENT OF LIVESTOCK

Arise from how we understand the differences of species

Self perception of Homo sapiensshapes our view of livestock in our new

society in which public decisions are based only on economic values

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ANIMALS: TWO BROAD POSITIONS

Ethical protests on animal welfareDumb sentient animals unable to

present their own case

Business ManagementNo discomfort evident

Food, shelter, disease controlAnimals experience of life is different

from humans

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HISTORIC REVOLUTIONS IN AGRICULTURE

Hunting-Gathering (Pre-history)

Neolithic Revolution ( ~12,000+ years ago)Domestication, Community, Morality

Agro-Industrial Revolution (1700 – 1945)Flowing from Renaissance, Reformation,

Enlightenment

Intensification Era – Crisis (1945-1990)

Future – bleak unless we find new sustainable ways

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NEOLITHIC REVOLUTIONAgricultural/Cultural ~12,000 years ago

New features of human civilization

Community living

Artifacts from new quality of life

Domestication of plants and animals

Spread from Middle East with livestock

Genetic drift forming diverse cultures

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Homo sapiens in Europe

Agriculture arrived with H. sapiensfrom Middle East after cultural revolution

No Neanderthal Ancestors

Iceman in Alps5,300 years ago

Mitochondrial DNA90% modern European from 7 women

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1ST MAJOR SHIFT - NEOLITHIC REVOLUTIONAgricultural/Cultural ~12,000 years ago

New quality of life factors

Community living

Belief in transcendence

Morality

Acceptable social behaviour

Lawmaking

Ethical standards

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MAJOR SOCIAL – CULTURAL SHIFT IN EUROPEAN SOCIETY

1400- 1700

Renaissance

Reformation

Enlightenment

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EMERGENCE OF INDUSTRY AND INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE

1800 - 2000

Intensification/Scale

Reductionism

Livestock Separated from Human Community

Sustainability

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ETHICS IN FOOD CHAIN

Concerns Fueled by

GENE-TRANSFER TECHNOLOGY

ANIMAL WELFARE

MARRIAGE OF SCIENCE AND BUSINESS

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ETHICS IN FOOD CHAIN

BOOKS BY SCIENTISTS

VOICING CONCERN OVERNEGATIVE MOTIVES

AND EFFECTS IN THEIIR FIELDS

FAO EXPERT GROUP ON ETHICS

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ETHICS

KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

AND CHOOSING TO DO THE GOOD

SOCRATES

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ETHICS

TWO ESSENTIAL STAGES DEALING WITH INNOVATION

DUE PROCESS EXAMINE OPTIONS, IDENTIFY AND EXAMINE IMPACTS

AND RISKS FOR STAKEHOLDERS

DECISION-MAKINGTRANSPARENCY WITH WIN-WIN CONSEQUENCES

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ORIGIN OF ETHICS IN EUROPEAN SOCIETY THE WEST

THOUSAND YEARS

OF JUDEO-CHRISTIAN

STANDARDS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

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“GOLDEN RULE” HAS BEEN THE NORMJesus

TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH THEM TO TREAT YOU

By extension to husbandry of natural resources, environment

agriculture

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ETHICS IN EUROPE

THOUSAND YEARS OF JUDEO-CHRISTIAN

STANDARDS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

NORTH AMERICAAUSTRALIA - NZ

CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS COLONIES OF EUROPE

JUDEO-CHRISTIAN STANDARDS

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DO YOUR OWN ETHICSSmorgasbord Ethics

Serious implications for public decision-making

Floating, relative moralsmay be OK in private

Which standards in public ???

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A MAJOR SHIFT IN NORMS OF WESTERN SOCIETY

God gone from market placeMorality now seen as private

Dilemma:

Do nothingCall for voluntary ethical standardsLegislate ethically based standards

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ETHICS IN LIVESTOCK

PUBLIC DILEMMA OVER TREATMENT OF LIVESTOCK

ANIMAL RIGHTSANIMAL WELFARE

FOOD SAFETYHEALTH

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SPECIES: TWO POSITIONS

Identification with sentient speciesRestraint needed in treatment of livestock

Dumb animals unable to express pain(Animal rights ? )

No identificationH. sapiens is different

Leads to two positions: Exploitation or Stewardship(Animal welfare ?)

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SPECIES ARGUMENT

Identification positionSpecies have intrinsic rights

Encouraged by new freedoms forminorities and subsets

SlavesWomen

Minority Ethnic GroupsSexual Preferences

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SPECIES: NO IDENTIFICATION

Humans are humans: animals are animalsHumans are superior species

Dumb and incapacitated humans are cared for

This position brings ethics, not rights, into the equation

TWO PATHSNo ethics leads to continued intensification

With ethics – how to define public boundaries insociety where ethics are now private

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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ETHICS IN LIVESTOCKPUBLIC DILEMMA

CASE OF MOLECULAR GENETICS

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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TRADITIONAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION CHANGES IN LAST 50 YEARS

ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY

Higher throughputin time and space

Return on capital

Reduced labour

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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TRADITIONAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION CHANGES IN LAST 50 YEARS

BIOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY:ProlificacyMortality

Genetic gainNutrition costs

Conversion rateRatio edible to inedible

UniformityTime conception to market

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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Molecular biology challenges the way we view animals

Human Genome Project shows major physical matching

If molecular boundaries of humansand animals are minimal….

Why is Homo sapiens different?

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Molecular biology gives unprecedented power to the human species over animals

The current batch of techniques will lead to an endless vista of

options for engineering animals

WHAT ETHICS SHALL WE USE ?

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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Molecular biology challenges the way we view ourselves

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN ?

Takes us back to our moral origin and natureCivilization, community, law,

Acceptable and unacceptable behaviour,Sanctions

Accountability, transparency,Sustainability

Instinct versus moral freedom to choose

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Unprecedented power over all other species

What will happen to Homo sapiensas we behave like the Top Animal Species ?

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Future scenario of intensivelivestock production

Current techniques lead to vista of options for engineering animals

Remove unnecessary partsLegs, feathers, beaks, eyes, ears,Pigs with genes for beef muscle

Meat sheep with no woolQuail without legs laying chicken eggs

Thinned animals skin

WHAT ETHICS SHALL WE USE ?WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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Feed line to supply nutrient with hormones, enzymes etc

Blood line from specialist animalsproviding perfect time for marketFish genes removing need for heating

Maintenance costs reducedReproduction redesignedAnimals gender neutral

Duplicate genes from old male or female linesEmbryos grown in artificial uterus

WHAT ETHICS SHALL WE USE ?WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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BASIC ANIMAL FRAMEWORKNo species – template

Head, brain, for neural controlno eyes, ears mouth

No rumen, simple digestive tract

Stem cells added for products

Meat harvested

WHAT ETHICS SHALL WE USE ?WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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FANTASY ?

Simply - extension of reductionist values

without ethical limit

WHAT ETHICS SHALL WE USE ?

Utilitarian – Shareholder profit

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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WHO WILL DECIDE THE ETHICS OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION ?

AT WHAT POINT SHALL WE STOP ?

OR BE STOPPED ?

BY WHOM ? AND WHEN ?WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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WITHOUT ETHICS WE RETURNTO THE BARBARIC LIFE OF NATURE

RED IN TOOTHAND CLAW

WE CEASE BEING HUMAN AND ARE MERELY TOP SPECIES

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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THEN WE INEVITABLY TURNUPON OTHER DEFENCELESS

AND UNPRODUCTIVE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR OWN SPECIES

EUTHANASIA

Unproductive peopleor

Uncooperative peopleEugenics & Reproductive control WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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ANCIENT AND RELIGIOUS WISEMEN

KNOW THAT ETHICS DETERMINES THE NATURE OF HUMAN COMMUNITIES

ETHICS – KNOWING GOOD AND EVILAND CHOOSING GOOD

NO ETHICS – NO COMMUNITY

ETHICS DEFINES HUMANITY

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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BOUNDARY SEPARATING MANKIND FROM OTHER SPECIES

CARRIES RESPONSIBILITIES FOR COMMUNITY OF ALL OF LIFE

AWARENESS OF TRANSCENDENT IS BASIS OF ETHICS AND COMMUNITY

AND MAKES US HUMAN

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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OUR DECISION ABOUT LIVESTOCK

WILL DEFINE OUR OWN FUTURE&

OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR IDENTITY AS HUMANS

AWARENESS OF TRANSCENDENT IS BASIS OF ETHICS AND COMMUNITY

AND MAKES US HUMAN

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE ?

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“It is dangerous to show man too clearly how much he resembles the beast

without at the same time showing him his greatness

It is also dangerous to allow him too clear

a vision of his greatness without his baseness.

It is even more dangerous to leave him in ignorance of both.

But it is very profitable to show him both”.

Blaise Pascal, 1623-62.