1.3 Physical and economic constraints to intensive animal production in developing countries

Abstract

Intensive animal production systems are commonly associated with high income, industrialized societies. These systems are seen by many as indicators or even causes of a widening gap in living standards between developed and developing countries (Aziz, 1976; George, 1976). The controversial subject of resource competition between man and animals has been treated elsewhere (Byerly, 1978; Fitzhugh, Hodgson, Scoville, Nguyen and Byerly, 1978; Newcombe and Bowman, 1978; Svedberg, 1978). Much of the concern stems from the positive relationship between income levels and animal protein consumption (Barreveld, 1977; Weber and Gregersen, 1977). The underlying premise of this paper is that intensification is an appropriate means of increasing animal protein supplies and that these increased supplies could offer the best opportunity of favourably altering this relationship between animal protein consumption and income levels for the developing countries.