Abstract
Context: Animal production plays a critical role in many global challenges around sustainability, including climate change and resilience, One Health and food security. With this role comes pressures on livestock welfare. Aims: This paper demonstrates key contributions animal welfare makes to global sustainability challenges. Methods: This paper highlights 'win-win' improvements for both animal welfare and other aspects of sustainability by using the following four case studies: tail docking Australian sheep, agroforestry systems in Ethiopia, the Australian dairy-beef industry, and strategic feeding of goats in Pakistan. Key results: These case studies show how animal welfare can be improved alongside livelihoods. However, even in these win-win situations, the adoption of improved practices is not guaranteed. Conclusions: Long-term, sustained change in animal welfare can simultaneously make in roads to other challenges around sustainability. To do this, we must have a broader understanding of the system in which the animals are raised, so that barriers to change can be identified. Implications: Lessons from these case studies can be applied to other production contexts and challenges, highlighting the universal value of understanding and addressing animal welfare.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 937-943 |
Journal | Animal Production Science |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 26 May 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 26 May 2022 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- Affective state
- Agroforestry
- Dairy
- Goat
- Sheep
- Sustainable development goals
- Sustainable intensification