Abstract

Issues of sustainability in animal production in developed countries involve a trend away from intensive production systems and destruction of the environment, towards improved animal welfare and increased product quality, with an emphasis on reduced use of chemicals in production systems. The negative environmental impact and the loss of biodiversity, due to livestock production systems, are major issues in both developed and developing countries. In developing countries, desertification and deforestation, the sustainable management of wildlife systems and the need to reduce competition between humans and animals for scarce resources, are all major issues of sustainability. While the developed world is looking towards "de-intensifying" its animal agriculture, the developing regions of the world have a perceived need to intensify animal production systems in order to support increasing populations, urban growth and an increased demand for animal products. The implications for scientific research include: aiming to optimise rather than maximise production; greater emphasis on the ecological aspects of sustainable systems, maintenance of biodiversity and natural resources; and minimising external inputs and satisfying the food, income and social needs of rural communities. Scientific communities must increasingly seek international collaboration in a global approach to the challenge of sustainable animal production.

A, Parry

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 54, , 181-184, 1994