Abstract
Surplus dairy calves consist of all dairy bull calves and any heifer calves not needed as replacements for the milking herd. The fate of these surplus calves varies by region; for example, in Australia and New Zealand they are often sold as “bobby” calves and slaughtered within the first weeks of life; whereas, in North America they are normally sold within the first weeks of life but reared for 16–18 weeks as veal or longer as dairy beef. Regardless of region, demand for these calves is often very low, driving down prices and in some cases leaving farmers with no alternative options other than on-farm euthanasia. The notion that dairy cows must give birth to produce milk and that the calves are immediately separated from the dam, many of which will end up immediately being sold as surplus calves, has become a topic of public concern. These concerns have increased given the growing number of pictures and stories in the media of on-farm euthanasia, dairy calves being transported at very young ages and frequently receiving sub-standard levels of care. In this paper we describe the status quo of this complex, value-laden issue that without transformative change is at great risk for continued criticism from the public. Moreover, despite many attempts at refinement of the existing approach (i.e., the pursuit of technical improvements), little has changed in terms of how these surplus dairy calves are managed and so we predict that on its own, this approach will likely fail in the long run. We then set out how the current surplus calf management practices could be viewed to fit the definition of a “wicked problem.” We conclude by calling for new research using participatory methodologies that include the voice of all stakeholders including the public, as a first step in identifying sustainable solutions that resonate with both society and the livestock industry. We briefly discuss three participatory methodologies that have successfully been used to develop sustainable solutions for other complex problems. Adoption of these types of methodologies has the potential to help position the dairy industry as a leader in sustainable food production.
Highlights
The issue of surplus calves in dairy production has historically been limited to the fate of the male calf [1,2,3]
To avoid similar missteps by the dairy industry, we suggest that future solutions must integrate the views of the public in developing approaches to address contentious practices, potentially contributing to the social license to farm
Our discussions moved to focus on what alternative solutions could be found that would support a more socially sustainable dairy industry. This paper summarizes these discussions into four parts beginning with a short description of the status quo of surplus dairy calf management and the case for change
Summary
The issue of surplus calves in dairy production has historically been limited to the fate of the male calf [1,2,3]. Increasing the number of surplus calves reared for beef or used for veal production may fail to resonate with societal values for reasons associated with production methods (e.g., cow-calf separation); proposed solutions may have a detrimental financial impact on farmers in the short term; management changes may have unforeseen impacts on the environment, land use, food security etc. The management of surplus calves involves a diverse range of stakeholders with varying frames of reference including dairy and beef farmers, calf growers/veal producers, transporters, feedlot operators, meat processors, milk processors, wholesale, retail, food service, exporters, policy makers, compliance etc This level of social complexity is increased again by the addition of the general public as a credible stakeholder. By engaging in social science research using some form of participatory methodology (see Table 2) that includes the public, we believe that the industry can minimize this challenge
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