1. International Conference Steps to Sustainable Livestock

2. Animal welfare and sustainable livestock production: Concepts that go hand-in-glove or un- reconcilable aspirations? Becky Whay

3. A few facts and figures…… x2 By 2050 the amount of livestock slaughtered globally each year is expected to double (x2) In mid 1960’s about 10 billion head of livestock were slaughtered each year – now about 56 billion head are slaughtered each year

4. A few facts and figures…… 110 – 42 = 68 In 1925 it took a chicken at least 110 days to reach a slaughter weight of about 1.2kg Today an average broiler bird reaches a slaughter weight of 2.5kg in 42 days

5. A few facts and figures…… 7,531 The average litres of milk yield per year produced by a UK dairy cow during 2013/14 In 1995/96 – the average (UK) cow produced 5,512 litres of milk

6. The concept of animal welfare

7. History of Welfare "Ill Treatment of Cattle Bill“ …that if any person or persons having the charge, care or custody of any horse, cow, ox, heifer, steer, sheep or other cattle, the property of any other person or persons, shall wantonly beat, abuse or ill-treat any such animal, such individuals shall be brought before a Justice of the Peace or other magistrate…. Martin’s Act of 1822

8. Language of Cruelty ‘v’ Welfare Harrison claimed that livestock within intensive systems suffered in ways that could not be captured in the traditional Animal Cruelty vocabulary

9. What do we mean by ‘Welfare’  Physical status  Mental status  “Naturalness”

11. Concern about animal welfare is a luxury of wealthy and well fed people….. Why should concerned about animal welfare in the face of an exploding population, and food security and climate change crises?

13. Numbers of Animals Affected

14. Lame cows….. Are hyperalgesic Change their behaviour to reduce movement Modify their social interactions Produce less milk Become lame again Are culled early from the herd (infertility)

15. Healthy animals are better producers

16. But…. animal welfare is not only about health Naturalness “If we believe in evolution... in order to avoid suffering, it is necessary over a period of time for the animal to perform all the behaviours in its repertoire because it is all functional...” (Kiley-Worthington 1989)

17. Positive Welfare Behaviours that are performed because they are pleasurable or ‘intrinsically motivated’ Playing Walking Stretching Turning around, Getting up and lying down normally Dust bathing in hens Rooting in pigs

18. Ethics of animal use Improving animal welfare is easier to justify when it clearly equates to improved productivity Not all production systems ‘need’ good welfare to be efficient Some aspects of welfare matter primarily because they are ‘the right thing to do’

19. Animal welfare and sustainable food production? Sustainability? Extensive pasture fed livestock, grazing land that is not suitable for crop production? Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food: “The goal of sustainable intensification is to increase food production from existing farmland while minimising pressure on the environment”

20. Animal welfare and sustainable food production? Intensification and animal welfare are uncomfortable partners: Garnett, Appleby et al 2013 “The word “intensification” is particularly problematic for those concerned with animal welfare. It is often associated with forms of production that have demonstrably negative effects on animal health and welfare.”

21. Animal welfare and sustainable food production? Garnett, Appleby et al 2013 “….recognize that there are limits on our ability to meet projected future livestock product demand while also achieving animal welfare and environmental goals,….”

22. A way forward….? Put animal welfare science inside the solutions (not criticising from the margins) To work to balance concepts like ‘healthy, happy, efficient’ animals Be brave and recognise where our systems do not serve animals as well as humans and search for alternatives….