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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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

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SUS