The science behind climate change and sustainability is complicated but it is important that the critical facts and the best information currently available enters the public arena. Veterinarians play a very significant role in discussing evidence based science with their clients, and the general public. The media to which the general public is exposed, is often guilty of playing ‘fast and loose’ with the facts. In this series, we will examine the evidence behind some of the statements and articles that have appeared and attempt to equip VetSalus members with some simple facts, which they may use when discussing some of the more misleading or contentious statements.
As part of my summer vacation I found myself wandering the streets of Bilbao, when my progress was arrested by a very powerful poster. The image showed a young man on his knees, vomiting blood with several spears protruding from his spine. You can find the image here [1] (on Alamy) but many will find it shocking and distressing. I did not need my rudimentary Spanish to realise that this was part of an anti-bullfighting campaign. Not having travelled through Spain in recent years, I was slightly disappointed with myself to have largely forgotten about this significant animal welfare issue.
Animal welfare is central to sustainable food production and while bull fighting is not directly linked to food production, (it is apparently entertainment), the continued existence of this barbaric practice is undoubtedly an animal welfare issue. And that fact helps to demonstrate that the spectrum of animal welfare is a wide one.
A recent leader article in The Economist highlighted a rather different aspect of the animal welfare debate[2]. It appears that, currently, the only issue that Republicans and Democrats in the USA are agreeing on, is the banning of the use of animals for experimentation and medicines testing. This is another longstanding animal welfare debate, which the Economist leader describes as traditionally belonging to the “sandal wearing left”. Under Robert Kennedy Jnr., the cause has been picked up by MAGA Republicans and as a result the Centre for Disease Control is in the process of closing its primate laboratory.
Undoubtedly animal testing is in transition, with new technology, including “organs on chips” NAM’s (New Approach Methods), helping to reduce the need for animal testing but as the Economist argues, the day upon which all animal testing can cease has not yet arrived and in dropping out of this research, the USA is simply handing the baton of biotechnology advance to China.
It is not the intent of this article to argue strongly for or against either of these issues; there are other organisations better equipped and funded to progress those debates. But VetSalus, as an international veterinary consultancy group, has consultants working in many countries and jurisdictions and they will be exposed to a wide spectrum of animal welfare situations. At what point does poor production, linked to inadequate nutrition, become an animal welfare issue? Is the 1.6 litres of milk produced daily by the average African cow[3] a management issue, a consultancy project or a significant animal welfare concern? Many consultants will be working in countries where battery hens and sow stalls are still permitted, and then may subsequently find themselves working in areas where they have been banned.
The spectrum of animal welfare is wide and the application of gold standard, western approaches may not be the fastest route towards progress. Being aware of the major animal welfare concerns in any situation and being equipped with educational tools and being prepared to engage in well-informed debate is surely the more constructive approach? And this is an approach that VetSalus consultants are well equipped to pursue.
This article has used A.I. resources to search for references but these were reviewed before use and the articles have been written and edited by a human brain.
If you are interested in the work of VetSalus, you will find a wider range of articles and educational material on our web site: www.vetsalus.com