Jun 22, 2015
Holistic Way Forward on Agriculture:
Supporting Animal Welfare, Livelihoods, and Food Security
Geoff Orme-EvansHumane Society International
16 November 2013
About Humane Society International
HSI, together with its partner organizations, constitutes one of the
largest animal protection organizations in the world.
Lab animals, wildlife, companion animals, and farm animals.
Science-based organizations..
HSI-Farm Animals
Cary Smith/The HSUS Guilherme Carvalho/HSI Michelle Riley/The HSUS
Reto Stöckli/NASA
Big Picture Challenges
• Produce 70% more to feed 9 billion by 2050• Needed Investments—developing country $83
bn/yr• Climate change– Contributions: IAASTD 30%– Impacts: water, temperature, production
Animal Agriculture• Now:– Over 70 billion land animals raised per year– Industrial systems:• 2/3 eggs and poultry• >50% of pork
• Future:– Demand growth 2010-2050• Meat 73%• Milk 58%
Global Land Animal Production
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 20200
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Year
Number of Animals(billions)
*Source: FAOSTAT (2013).
Animal Agriculture’s Environmental Impacts
• Land– Uses 30% earth’s land– Animal feed uses >60% corn and barley; >97%
soymeal– 70% deforested Amazon = grazing pastures
• Water use and pollution– 6000 liters of water to produce 1 kg of chicken vs. less
than half that for 1 kg of cereals• Air– 14.5% global, human-induced GHGs
Animal agriculture alone projected to emit >70% of sustainable level of global GHG emissions in 2050.
Proposed GHG sustainability boundary.
*From Pelletier N and Tyedmers P. 2010. Forecasting potential global environmental costs of livestock production 2000-2050. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the US 107(43):18371-18374.
Not cool.
Impacts on Animal Agriculture
• Rangeland drought• Pastoralists• Animal deaths
Cary Smith/The HSUS
The HSUS
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The HSUS
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HSI
The HSUS
Solutions?
• Supply vs. Demand• Sustainable Consumption– Less animal products = environment and climate
benefits– Public education
Compassionate Eating
The Three Rs Refine production methods. Reduce consumption of animal products. Replace animal products with non-animal
alternatives. Meatless Mondays
Supply-Side Solutions
• Mitigation Concerns:– Feed changes and efficiency– Biogas subsidies– Shift to monogastrics
• Adaptation:– Animal welfare can support, but more research is
needed
Key Principles for Holistic Approach
• Including and supporting all stakeholders• Ensuring multiple social and environmental
outcomes• Ensuring consistency
Humane and Holistic Solutions• Provide support to fill research and knowledge gaps• Provide finance for sustainable, animal-welfare-
friendly agriculture adaption—capacity building, research and extension, knowledge and tech transfer.
• Work towards national, regional and local strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation that ensure equitable, animal-welfare-friendly solutions for farm animal production.
• Ensure that national, regional and local policies manage unsustainable demand for animal products.
Humane and Holistic Solutions• Evaluate, Enhance, and Safeguard Animal
Welfare– Support for extensive pasture-based and mixed
farming animal agriculture systems led by small farmers, particularly women
– Further support for welfare improvements in industrial animal production systems
Thank you.
Thank you!
Cary
Sm
ith/T
he H
SUS