Animal Husbandry Regained: The Place of Farm Animals in Sustainable Agriculture

265 Pages·2013·1.6 MB·English

by  John Webster

Animal Husbandry Regained
The farming of animals for meat and milk confronts a stark dilemma. While
world demand from a growing and more affluent human population is
increasing rapidly, there are strong counter-arguments that we should eat less
meat and pay more attention to environmental protection, animal welfare and
human health and well-being.
The aim of this book is to identify and explain the causes and contributors
to current problems in animal husbandry, especially those related to ‘factory
farming’, and advance arguments that may contribute to its successful
reorientation. Husbandry is considered in its broadest sense, namely the
productive and sustainable use of the land for the good of all (plants, humans
and other animals).
Illustrated by examples, the first part of the book outlines principles and
arguments necessary to engage with current problems: depletion of natural
resources and destruction of environment, animal welfare, food and health, fair
trade and sharing resources. The second part presents a series of constructive
proposals for change and development in animal husbandry, both in the
developed world and subsistence agriculture. These include more integrated crop
and livestock farming systems, the ethics of animal welfare and environmental
management, and the evolution of a new social contract whereby a balance is
struck between the right to a healthy environment and good, safe food and the
responsibility to preserve these things.
John Webster is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bristol (UK) and a
former member of the Animal Health and Welfare Panel of the European Food
Safety Agency. As Professor of Animal Husbandry at the University of Bristol
Veterinary School, he established a unit for the study of animal welfare and
behaviour, which is now the largest such group in the world. He is author of
Animal Welfare: A Cool Eye toward Eden (1993) and Animal Welfare: Limping towards
Eden (2005), both Blackwell. He is also co-editor of The Meat Crisis (Earthscan,
2010).
‘[John Webster] is someone who has always used his in-depth expertise and
forensic analytical skills to build a bigger picture – indeed, a comprehensive
and internally consistent worldview. And the three central elements in that
worldview (efficiency in the use of resources; humanity in the management
of farm animals; sustainability in the stewardship of the living environment)
provide the anchor points for the abundance of “specific issues” that John
addresses in this text.’
– Jonathon Porritt, excerpt from the Animal Husbandry Regained foreword
‘Both challenging and inspiring, Animal Husbandry Regained is surely John
Webster’s magnum opus. Here he makes a convincing and lucid case for placing
compassion – for people, animals and the environment – at the heart of global
food and farming policy and practice.’
– Joyce D’Silva, Ambassador for Compassion in World Farming, UK
‘A timely and comprehensive book illustrating the central value of animals to
agricultural systems and landscapes. Brim full of authoritative analysis and data
that tie together the critical issues of justice, efficiency and sustainability in
animal husbandry.’
– Professor Jules Pretty, University of Essex, UK and author of
Agri-Culture (2002) and The Earth Only Endures (2007)
‘After decades of neglect, the educated public has turned its attention to many
problematic aspects of the production of food, particularly food of animal origin.
In this scholarly and stimulating book, John Webster treats the reader to the best
discussions of animal husbandry, land stewardship, agricultural industrialization
and related issues I have ever read, from a seamless perspective of science and
ethics.’
– Bernard E. Rollin, University Distinguished Professor,
Professor of Philosophy, of Animal Sciences and of Biomedical
Sciences and University Bioethicist, Colorado State University, USA
‘John Webster belongs to a rare breed now desperately needed in agriculture –
a hands-on scientist and vet who is also a broad thinker; versed in moral
philosophy and in the philosophy of science; perceiving, therefore, that good
husbandry like all human action must be rooted in compassion; that animals of
the kind we keep on farms are sentient, conscious beings, demanding respect;
and that rigorous science is vital and yet is limited and cannot be the ultimate
arbiter of best practice. In this book he summarizes a lifetime of experience and
contemplation. Immensely valuable.’
– Colin Tudge is co-founder of the Campaign for Real Farming,
www.campaignforrealfarming.org, and author of Good Food for Everyone Forever
Animal Husbandry Regained
The place of farm animals in sustainable
agriculture
John Webster
This first edition published 2013
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2013 John Webster
The right of John Webster to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Webster, John, 1938–
Animal husbandry regained : the place of farm animals in sustainable
agriculture / A.J.F. Webster. – 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Livestock. 2. Food animals. 3. Sustainable agriculture. 4. Animal
welfare. I. Title.
SF84.3.W43 2013
636–dc23 2012015683
ISBN13: 978-1-84971-420-4 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-1-84971-421-1 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-09422-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by HWA Text and Data Management, London
To all the animals of the future,
especially Poppy, Jack, Tom, Griff, Felix and Mimi.

Contents
List of figures ix
List of tables x
List of boxes xii
Foreword xiii
JONATHON PORRITT
Preface xv
Acknowledgements xvii
PART I
Engaging with the problems 1
1 Whatever happened to husbandry? 3
2 Audits of animals in agriculture 23
3 Husbandry, health and welfare 50
4 Food from animals 82
5 Nature’s social union: philosophy, politics and economics 98
PART II
Embarking on solutions 119
6 Better, kinder food 121
7 Futures for animal science and technology 156
8 Futures for farm animals in planet husbandry 189
9 Animal husbandry and society: substance and shadows,
carrots and sticks 213
References 233
Index 239

Figures
1.1 The genealogy of the factory farm 10
1.2 Alternative husbandry systems for beef cattle 13
2.1 Nutrient supply and requirement 25
2.2 Net and gross efficiency of conversion of metabolizable energy
(ME) to retained energy (RE) in milk and beef production 28
2.3 Factors affecting the efficiency of utilization of metabolizable
energy (ME) for growth in mammals 31
2.4 Life-cycle assessment in meat production systems: energy inputs
and outputs up to the farm gate 39
2.5 Factors affecting emissions from livestock buildings 45
3.1 Sentience: an emotional view of life 52
3.2 Animal welfare and the environment: inputs, consequences and
measures 56
3.3 Interactions between the environment, welfare and disease 61
3.4 Causes and consequences of fear 76
5.1 The economics of animal husbandry 110
6.1 Step-wise improvement of village chicken production systems 152
7.1 The typical breeding ‘pyramid’ in commercial pig production 168
7.2 Mature body size (M) and the time taken to mature in mammals
and birds 178
8.1 Sustainable and unsustainable grasslands 193
8.2 Outline of an anaerobic digestion process for an intensive animal
production unit 202
9.1 The Virtuous Bicycle, a delivery system for improved husbandry
and animal welfare 225
9.2 Farmer motivation: incentives and constraints 227