Animal Husbandry Practices Research Articles

Animal Economy in Hellenistic Greece: A Zooarchaeological Study from Pherae (Thessaly)

ABSTRACT The scale of animal husbandry in ancient Greece has been debated for decades. To contribute to this debate, we examined faunal assemblages from Pherae in central Greece using non-destructive zooarchaeological methods. The results show that Pherae was involved in a caprine-oriented husbandry. The limited mobility of domesticated animals, indicated by mortality profiles, suggests that small-scale animal husbandry was the norm. Meat was redistributed across the town, and the quality of meat a household consumed depended on that household’s financial status. These results lead us to propose an economic model whereby both small-scale and semi-specialized animal husbandry were practiced, corroborating arguments for multiple co-existing animal husbandry practices in ancient Greece. Unlike in other parts of the Roman Empire, the predominance of caprines, indications of their use in meat and dairy production, and their relatively small “Hellenistic” size suggests that the Roman presence in Pherae did not influence animal economy.

PAKISTAN MEAT INDUSTRY: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE MEAT SUPPLY CHAIN POTENTIAL

Meat is one of the major commodities with which food science is concerned. Meat is defined as flesh of animals used as food. The bulk of meat consumed in Pakistan is derived from goat, sheep, cattle, buffalo, camel, fish and poultry. The meat of poultry and fish is considered separately from the rest of meat. The meat of cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and camel is an example of red meat.Meat (mainly beef) plays a more dominant role in Pakistani food, compared to other South Asian cuisines. It is reported that an average Pakistani consumes three times more meat than an average Indian. Per capita availability of meat in Pakistan is 19kg. Pakistan suffers in international markets as meat slaughtered in traditional abattoirs fails to meet international standards. Despite an increase in milk and meat production, the prices have moved upward abnormally. Exports of livestock, includingcows, buffaloes, sheep, and goats, are made to the Gulf States, Iran, and Afghanistan where there is a great demand for high-quality meat due to a lack of supply. The country, though rich in livestock, rarely got a chance to export meat or meat products to earn foreign exchange. It was offered an opportunity when various Middle East states stopped importing meat from European countries due to the incidence of the mad cow disease. The recent increase in meat prices is attributed to the export oflive animals or meat to the Middle East and Afghanistan. There was a time when animals used to be imported or smuggled from Afghanistan into Pakistan but after 9/11 the situation suddenly took a 'U' turn. The major constraints include non-availability of indigenous meat breeds, lack of proper animal husbandry practices, absence of modern abattoirs, meat processing plants and low priority by policy makers in the past as well. In meat marketing, the abattoirs are the production points and butcher’sshops are the only vending points to the consumers. The abattoirs are seriously lacking basic sanitation facilities (like light, adequate water supply, space for slaughtering and animal keeping, meat refrigeration, and disposal of offal) all over the country. A large portion of the by-products such as blood, glands, intestines, and bones are either wasted or poorly processed. The hygienic conditions of the slaughterhouses and meat shops are very poor. The flayers and butchers are also not professionallytrained. The fixing of prices of beef and mutton by local governments are serious obstacles in buying good quality animals for slaughtering. To meet the demand-supply gap of meat in Pakistan, the rate of growth must be at least 5 to 7% per annum. If Pakistan wants to continue meat and live animal export, besides meeting domestic demand, modern meat processing plants and livestock farms should be set up all over the country. Suggested program in this regard are: livestock production and development for meat production, development of feedlot fattening to maximize bio-economic and sustainable meatproduction and its value addition through meat processing and quality control.

Training Needs of Dairy Farm Women and their Multiple Regression Analysis toward Animal Husbandry Practices

Training Needs of Dairy Farm Women and their Multiple Regression Analysis toward Animal Husbandry Practices

Effect of maternal dietary 25OHD3 on the gonadal development of offspring mice

Context Studies have widely reported that a vitamin D3 metabolite 25OHD3 improves the growth performance of animals and offspring, but few studies have focused on offspring sex hormone secretion and gonadal development in the offspring. Aims This study focused on the effects of gestational feeding with 25OHD3 on the growth, serum calcium (Ca2+) and phosphorus (Pi) concentrations, and ovarian and testicular development in offspring. Methods From the beginning of gestation until the end of labour, maternal mice were gavaged daily with 25 ug of 25OHD3. We weighed offspring on Days 1, 10, and 21 postnatally and collected offspring serum and gonadal samples on Day 21. Key results The results showed that 25OHD3 significantly increased maternal serum Ca2+ and Pi concentrations, and increased the growth rate and serum Ca2+ and Pi concentrations of offspring, significantly increased the serum concentrations of luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and accelerated the follicle development in the female offspring. Male offspring showed significantly increased LH, FSH, and testosterone serum concentrations, and 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD mRNA expressions, and a significantly decreased CYP17A1 mRNA expression. Conclusions In conclusion, the present findings indicated that maternal feeding with 25OHD3 during pregnancy positively affects offspring hormone secretion and gonadal development. Implications These insights have shed light on the potential significance of maternal nutrition in ensuring healthier animal populations and offer valuable considerations for animal husbandry practices.

Technology based on the Internet of Things to Monitor Animals

Improving existing animal husbandry practices is essential before introducing grazing animals to vineyards. In order to provide this type of assistance, it is necessary to monitor and condition the animals’ whereabouts and actions, especially their feeding posture. Using this strategy, sheep could graze in agricultural areas (such vineyards and orchards) without fear of harming them. Based on these findings, we have created an IoT-based platform for tracking animal habits. To facilitate unattended shepherding of ovine within vineyard areas, the system integrates a local Internet of Things network for data collection from the animals with a cloud platform with data dispensationalso storage competences. As a result, the system can tend to ovine flocks. Easy analysis and interpretation of Internet of Things (IoT) data is made possible by the machine learning capabilities built into the cloud platform. Therefore, we shall not only outline the platform but also supply some machine learning platform-specific results. To be more specific, testing looked at how well this platform could identify and characterize disorders related to animal posture. This page offers a comparison of the tested approaches because multiple algorithms were used.

Assessment of the knowledge and adoption rates of enhanced animal husbandry practices among dairy farmers in Udaipur district of Rajasthan

Assessment of the knowledge and adoption rates of enhanced animal husbandry practices among dairy farmers in Udaipur district of Rajasthan

Study of Socio-Economic Status and Calf Management Practices Followed by Kunari Cattle Owners in Kunar Province, Afghanistan

‌Background: The purpose of this study to invistigate the socio-economic status and calf management practices followed by Kunari cattle farmers in three districts of Kunar provimce. Livestock rearing is crucial in Afghanistan for food security, involving both poor and wealthy farmers. Cattle are raised for milk, meat, and power. Livestock plays a vital role in dry rural areas, and farmers rely on agricultural byproducts for feeding. In Kunar province, small and marginal farmers and landless laborers raise 2-4 animals per household on average, despite limited land holdings of 1.5 to 2 acres. Materials and Methods: The investigation was conducted properly in eastern region Kunar province, Afghanistan. Three districts namely (Watapur, Dara-E-Peach, and Chapa Dara) were randomly selected. Cattle owners with 2-10 Kunari cattle were purposively chosen. Seven villages from each district were randomly selected, and Eight respondents that random were chosen from each village, resulting in a sample size of 170 cattle keepers. Microsoft Office Excel will be utilized for organizing the questionnaire's data and analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Findings: Farmers lacked awareness and knowledge about the importance of calf rearing management practices, resulting in a lack of scientific care for newborns. Illiteracy was a significant issue, despite having sufficient land for agriculture and animal husbandry. Traditional methods were followed for newborn care, with limited understanding of the significance of hygiene and sanitation. Lack of access to veterinary facilities may have contributed to this situation. Conclusion: Animal husbandry practices primarily involved cows and elderly bulls, forming an essential part of their livelihood. Traditional methods were followed for the care of newborns, with limited awareness of the significance of hygiene and sanitation. This lack of understanding could be attributed to the absence of veterinary facilities.

Settlements and plantations are sites of human–tiger interactions in Riau, Indonesia

AbstractInteractions between the Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae and people (e.g. injury or loss of lives of people and tigers, evacuation of injured tigers, loss of livestock and sightings of tigers) can negatively affect the conservation of the subspecies. Land-use change in Sumatra has reduced habitat for tigers, forcing them into human-dominated landscapes and increasing the probability of interactions with people. Although the number of such interactions is high in South-east Asia, few studies have been published since 2000 and for Sumatra there is a lack of information regarding where these events occur. We collated data on human–tiger interactions in the province of Riau using web scraping of news sources published during 2010–2020, and mapped these data to village boundaries. We recorded 101 interaction events, with a total of 107 interactions, which we categorized into seven types (people injured or killed, livestock killed, sightings of tigers, tigers killed, injured or evacuated), in 78 villages. Most interactions with reported locations occurred close to settlements (35%), followed by in plantations (26%) and smallholdings (25%), with forests and forest edges comprising 14% of such events. Interactions were dominated by sightings of tigers, but severe interaction types (human death or injury and attacks on livestock) were also reported. The mean annual number of human–tiger interactions was 4.6 during 2011–2017 and 21.3 during 2017–2020. We highlight the need for mitigation and prevention, such as establishing conflict mitigation teams, improving animal husbandry practices, and providing training and education on human–tiger interactions focused in plantations and settlements.

A comprehensive review on natural phenolic compounds as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics.

Intensive livestock and poultry farming in China largely relied on the use of in-feed antibiotics until July 2020. The consequences of antibiotic overuse in animal feed include accumulation in animal products and the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance, both of which threaten food safety and human health. China has now completely banned the circulation of commercial feed containing growth-promoting drug additives (except Chinese herbal medicine). Therefore, alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in animal production are greatly needed. Natural phenolic compounds (NPCs) exist widely in plants and are non-toxic, non-polluting, highly reproducible, and leave little residue. Many natural flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and stilbenes have polyphenol chemical structures and exhibit great potential as alternatives to antibiotics. In this review we delineate the characteristics of plant-derived NPCs and summarize their current applications as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics, aiming to provide new strategies for antibiotic-free feeding and promote the development of more sustainable animal husbandry practices.

Climate Change's Impact on Agriculture and Food Security: An Opportunity to Showcase African Animal Genetic Resources

One of the current issues facing humanity is ensuring sustained global food security in the face of devastating effects of climate change; this challenge is particularly pressing on the African continent. Here, I present an opinion piece identifying local animal genetic resources as "African leverage point" that provide the highest chances to cushion rural fork to climate change, enhance environmental sustainability and food security in Africa. When it comes to boosting food production, coping with climate change, or bolstering the delivery of a wide range of ecosystem services, I believe that African animal genetic resources are essential alternatives for the sustainable growth of the livestock industry and its contribution to food security. Africa needs to address the support and development of indigenous animal genetic resources in order to meet the basic food needs of more than 1 billion people, address numerous environmental issues with continental implications, and focus on more effective and resilient food systems with the greatest impact on food security. The indigenous animal resources diversity and support actions to this unique group could provide a boost in protein that is lacking to constitute healthy diets in Africa. The priorities of nonprofit organizations, foundations, governments, citizens' groups, and companies can be influenced by this leverage point in the African food system. Due to continuous food insecurity, which appears to be becoming worse with climate change and makes it even harder to accomplish the SDGs on the continent, Africa has paid a hefty price for being misled about the worth of its own animal genetic resources. To the contrary, it is highly improbable that a strategy to improve food security and rural livelihoods that undermines the utilization of indigenous animal genetic resources will be viable in long-term. If Africa makes an effort, is committed, and fully commits resources to putting indigenous animal genetic resources at the forefront of combating food insecurity and accelerating the achievement of SDGs, it can achieve more under the adverse prevailing climate change induce environmental conditions. Our personal opinion is that we would not have had the ongoing food problems, even in the face of climate change, if Africa had over the years implemented the necessary mechanisms to develop and promote local animal genetic resources. What lies ahead in terms of climate change effect on food security in Africa is anyone's guess – but whatever it is, promoting continental adapted indigenous animal genetic resources portfolio is ready to handle it. Development and promotion of African animal genetic resources should be part of a continental strategy to transform smallholder animal production by 2050, in line with the goals of achieving the SGDs, to improve rural household food security, and bringing rural economy prosperity, resilience, sustainability, and all other desired animal related food outcomes for rural healthy diets. African animal genetic resources are the most important but underutilized resource to address the issue of ongoing food insecurity. The responsible use of local animal genetic resources through climate smart animal husbandry practices also contributes to food security, rural development and increased employment opportunities. African genetic improvement programs involving indigenous animal genetic resources must be considered as regards to local agriculture and livestock development aspirations, appropriateness to local reality and livelihood security, as well as environmental friendliness. Animal agriculture will fill in the enormous gaps in the continent's food supply if this animal group receives adequate attention and is used integrated properly in crop and livestock systems which characterize smallholder farming sector in Africa. Because they have evolved over time to accommodate the various climatic conditions and environmental pressures on the continent, Africa's native animal genetic resources are particularly resilient. Indirectly, the impact of climate change offers a chance to use native animal genetics from Africa. The use of local animal genetic diversity has the potential to substantially improve Africa's food security landscape hence should be given special consideration for sociocultural, environmental, and economic aspects, and with regard for smallholder farmer-specific factors of interest. African animal genetic resources have contributed significantly to the food and nutrition security aspects of the millions of people in their communities of origin and custody in Africa. The purpose of the perception piece is to educate the reader about the fundamental mechanisms that control the use of continental animal genetic resources and how the outlook for these mechanisms can be manipulated in the future for the benefit of improving food security in Africa. The discussion provides in-depth insight into the pertinent literature in understanding the significance of local animal genetic resources in terms of their contribution to food security in Africa.

The Land of Milk and Money: The Creation of the Southern Dairy Industry by Alan I. Marcus

The Land of Milk and Money explains that the southern dairy industry’s rapid rise in the 1920s had as much to do with corporate decision-making rooms and small-town boosters as with pasture grasses. Marcus argues that the Borden Milk Company’s selection of Starkville, Mississippi, as the site of a milk-condensing plant was the act that jumpstarted southern dairying, first in northeastern Mississippi and then region-wide.That Starkville is central to Marcus’ book is not surprising. Marcus composed the book from his position at Mississippi State University (located in Starkville) during the COVID-19 pandemic when travel restrictions compelled historians to focus on local sources. But this Starkville-centered story is not simply rooted in research expediency. As Starkville flourished, stories about the town’s economic transformation circulated throughout the South, inspiring civic leaders throughout the region. The book’s first few chapters examine Starkville’s and Borden’s histories prior to their partnership, whereas the final chapters consider how Starkville served as a regional model for leaders in Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas.Marcus’ book deepens understanding of the place of condensed milk and the small town to southern agricultural history. A rarely used pantry item today, condensed milk proved a linchpin in the early twentieth century—a key ingredient of infant feeding regimens, an important export during World War I, and a significant retail good in the South, where lack of livestock and adequate refrigeration stymied fresh-milk consumption. Condensed milk became critical to Borden’s corporate strategy. In times of shortage (such as during the 1916 milk strike), Borden marketed milk destined for condenseries as fresh. In times of fresh milk surplus, the company could maintain their fresh milk market prices by redirecting surplus fresh milk to condenseries. Processed as condensed milk, that surplus milk could be marketed in the future. By the 1920s, Borden had located condenseries in far-flung places like Kansas and Mississippi. In these geographical backwaters, Borden could pay farmers less for milk than they could in districts where dairy farmers could get better prices from dealers who marketed fresh milk.Land of Milk and Money relies heavily on local regional newspapers to trace how small-town southern bankers and businessmen courted the investment of northern dairies with an eye toward securing long-term prosperity, viewing dairy as less subject to volatility than export crops or the boom-and-bust cycles of logging. At the same time, these local elites also tried to convince farmers to invest in the animal husbandry and agricultural practice that would ensure the dairy plants’ success. Starkville’s business community mastered this intermediary role first, drawing not simply the Borden Company but also champions of other small towns, who made pilgrimages to Starkville in hopes of learning how to emulate the town’s success.Land of Milk and Money adds a new perspective not simply to southern agricultural history but also to Mississippi histories of the interwar period. Rather than depict Mississippi’s small towns as reactionary strongholds, Marcus views business and community leaders as committed to a vision of economic growth that boosted the future of Mississippi across the color line. Unlike histories that stress Mississippi’s economic elites’ hostility toward northern “labor agents,” the leaders that Marcus profiles embraced and courted representatives of Borden, Kraft, and Pet Milk.Marcus’ history would benefit from explaining how and why Mississippi’s dairy boosterism conflicted or intersected with the broader histories of political oppression and economic exclusion in the interwar period. Were Black tenant farmers who enjoyed greater economic prosperity by selling milk to Borden more likely to challenge political exclusion? Did dairy-rich Oktibbeha County send more or fewer migrants to northern cities during this period? Did the perspective of Black civic leaders, including African-American county agents, use the same language as white civic leaders to describe the promise of a rural Mississippi dotted with small-town dairies? Moreover, by positioning his history relative to social histories of the state, Marcus might have offered a better explanation of the power, and limits, of the shifting dairy economy on the states’ economic and political life.The book’s conclusion suggests that focusing on small-town southern boosters might help to recast northern-centric narratives of corporate relocation and deindustrialization. Further consideration about whether Starkville’s story inspired both southern small-town leaders and northern capitalists seeking to match Borden’s success in the subsequent decades would have helped Marcus to underscore the broader significance of this intriguing and understudied chapter in southern economic history.

Animal Colonialism in North America: Milk Colonialism, Environmental Racism, and Indigenous Veganism

Combining insights from postcolonialism, ecofeminism, and critical animal studies, this article focuses on the colonial experience of nonhuman animals in North America whose exploitation has been integral to the colonial expansionist project. By tracing the history of displacement of Indigenous populations due to animal agriculture, animal colonialism is also linked to mass killing of free-living animals and to environmental degradation. Furthermore, the article delineates the entangled oppression of Indigenous women’s and nonhuman animals’ bodies that can be theorized as colonized territories, exploited for profit via the control of their reproductive cycles. To protest the violent industrial animal farming practices that involve torture, slaughter, and mass dairying and are built on racist rhetoric, some Indigenous people adopt contextual Indigenous veganism as an act of political resistance.

The Effectiveness of Meniran (Phyllanthus niruri) and Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) Herbs on Broiler Chicken Performance

This study aims to determine the performance of broiler chickens given Phyllanthus niruri and Centella asiatica extracts. The research was conducted for 32 days at the Animal Husbandry Practice Unit (UPT) of the Karanganyar Animal Husbandry Academy. The material used was 100 broiler Cobb strains aged 4 days, kept in 20 experimental units, each unit consisting of 5 chickens with an average initial weight of 111,08 ± 4.74 g. The first treatment (T0) control, chicken without giving P. niruri and C. asiatica extracts, the second treatment (T1) the chicken was given 10 ml P. niruri extract per liter of drinking water, the third treatment (T2) the chickens were given 5 ml P. niruri extract and 5 ml C. asiatica extract, per liter of drinking water, the fourth treatment (T3) of chickens was given C asiatica extract 10 ml per liter of drinking water. The variables observed included drinking water consumption, feed consumption, average daily gain, and feed convertion ratio (FCR). The design used was a completely randomized design (CRD). The data were analyzed for variety and if there was a significant effect of the treatment, it was continued with the Duncan Multiple Distance Test to determine differences in treatment. The results showed that drinking water consumption, and average daily gain were not significantly different between treatments, feed consumption (g/head/day) and feed convertion ratio was significantly different between treatments. The conclusion of this research is that giving P. niruri and C. asiatica extracts in drinking water affect the performance of broiler chicken.

Communication Sources Followed by Tribal Communities for Adoption of Improved Animal Husbandry Practices in Pali and Sirohi District of Rajasthan

Communication Sources Followed by Tribal Communities for Adoption of Improved Animal Husbandry Practices in Pali and Sirohi District of Rajasthan

"Use of Indigenous Technical Knowledge by Dairy Farmers of Jammu Region vis-a-vis Animal Husbandry Practices"

"Use of Indigenous Technical Knowledge by Dairy Farmers of Jammu Region vis-a-vis Animal Husbandry Practices"

Communication Sources Followed by Tribal Communities for Adoption of Improved Animal Husbandry Practices in Pali and Sirohi District of Rajasthan

Communication Sources Followed by Tribal Communities for Adoption of Improved Animal Husbandry Practices in Pali and Sirohi District of Rajasthan

Adoption of Improved Small Ruminant Husbandry Practices among Ranchers in Selangor, Malaysia

This study determined the extent to which improved husbandry practices in the study area were adopted by ranchers of small ruminants. A total of 100 respondents of small ruminant ranchers were selected for this study, using simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive percentage and cross tabulation to determine the adoption of improved small ruminant husbandry practices among ranchers. The study revealed that reproduction, healthcare and feeding had a higher adoption rate among the key management practices of small ruminant husbandry compared to general management. The findings revealed the majority of the respondents (65%) were classified as medium level adopters of improved animal husbandry practices, with an average adoption index of 65. The adoption rates of animal husbandry among small ruminant ranchers should be enhanced by promoting guidance, education and their evaluation on the practices.

Range Limits: Semiferal Animal Husbandry in Spanish Colonial Arizona

In North America, the introduction of livestock as part of the Columbian Exchange had profound social and ecological consequences for cultural environments, yet the landscape impacts of these animals have been difficult to identify, particularly in the first decades of sustained contact. Between 1701 and 1775, at a Spanish colonial mission near what is today Nogales, Arizona, O'odham groups and Spanish missionaries generated land management practices that wove together the needs of domesticated animals and existing Indigenous farming practices. This study proposes a set of indicators to identify animal husbandry practices in both the archaeological and historical record. Faunal, isotopic, and historical analyses from Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi provide evidence that cattle ages were loosely monitored and that cattle were culled at an older age than optimal for meat and grease extractive strategies compared to other domesticated species at the site. These findings suggest a low investment strategy in cattle, which may have helped Indigenous groups continue aspects of precontact agricultural and gathering practices and preserve their communities in the colonial period. These findings provide further evidence of the depth of animal husbandry practices among Indigenous groups in the Southwest.

ISOLATION, IDENTIFICATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROFILE OF CORYNEBACTERIUM BOVIS FROM SELECTED DAIRY FARM IN BISHOFTU, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

From January to May 2018, a cross-sectional study was undertaken on lactating dairy cows in Bishoftu town to isolate Corynebacterium bovis, determine the prevalence and risk factors, and evaluate the effectiveness of several antibiotics in lactating dairy farms. Study animals were selected randomly from selected dairy farms in the area. Collecting milk samples from mastitic cows, cultivating, and then performing an antibiotic sensitivity test were the procedures followed. A total of 384 lactating dairy cows were examined with inspection and California Mastitis Test (CMT), in which 86 of them were found to be CMT positive. Accordingly, prevalence was 3.9% and 18.5% for cows affected by clinical and subclinical mastitis respectively. The prevalence of mastitis showed statistically significant difference between, lactation stage, breed, age and washing (p > 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference noted in animal husbandry practice (p > 0.05). A total of 384 lactating dairy cows were examined with inspection and CMT, in which 86 of them were found to be CMT positive. Out of the 86 mastitis positive samples (sample indicates milk from one cow) sent to microbiology laboratory for microbiological examination, 7 bacterial isolates were identified as Corynebacterium bovis. The biochemical and morphological characteristics of 7 (1.8%) C. bovis isolated from bovine milk samples and the C. bovis reference strains were found to be uniform. Valuable criteria for identification were presence of catalase and oxidase, production of acid from glucose and a requirement for enriched basal media. C. bovis isolates have revealed a higher sensitivity to the kanamycin and streptomycin (71.4% each). A certain resistance has been noted to oxytetracycline (71.4%) and nalidixic acid (42.8%). Higher number of isolates showed moderate sensitivity or resistance to amoxicillin (51.1%). Regarding to multidrug resistance, the study reflects that only one isolate (14.3%) shows multidrug resistance to four drugs namely kanamycin, amoxicillin, nalidixic acid and oxytetracycline. This study demonstrated that mastitis due to C. bovis is rare in lactating dairy farms in Bishoftu. Some of the risk factors for mastitis can be addressed by practical management of dairy cows. Farm owners should selectively use the antibiotics to which the bacteria do not show resistance, such as streptomycin and kanamycin.

Reflect on the Past or on the Present? The root cause of the difficulties in advancing animal protection in China. Review of Peter J. Li’s latest work: Animal Welfare in China, Culture, Politics and Crisis, Sydney University Press 2021

Animal Welfare in China, Culture, Politics and Crisis, Sydney University Press 2021, mainly introduces the problems and prospects of animal welfare in contemporary China; it is perhaps the first book worldwide on this topic. Animal cruelty in contemporary China is a reality and it is rewarding to explore its root cause. There has been a misconception for a long time that the origin of animal cruelty in China is traditional Chinese culture, which has a core of cruelty. The author, Peter J. Li, responds to this stereotype by deeply analysing ancient Chinese political thoughts. Ancient Chinese culture and values were rich in benevolence and care for animals. Thus, contemporary animal cruelty in China is irrelevant to ancient Chinese culture and it is unreasonable to deny this Asian wisdom. The main reason for contemporary animal cruelty in China is the intensive animal husbandry practices. Since the economic reform in 1978, China has adopted its goal as a developmental state by creating policies including introducing massive technologies from the western world and encouraging and developing intensive husbandry industries. This modern economic development model focuses on economic profits but not social justice, which is why hundreds of billions of animals suffer greatly in China. The emerging progress of China’s animal advocacy is creating a positive prospect for animal cruelty.