Toward a Sustainable World: Perceptions and Challenges for Animal Agriculture

Transcription

1 Toward a Sustainable World: Perceptions and Challenges for Animal Agriculture Norman R. Scott Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering Cornell University nrs5@cornell.edu International Symposium on Health Environment and Animal Welfare Rongchang, China October 20-21, 2013

2 DISCUSSION Sustainability and Why Converging Technologies Sustainable Communities Perceptions of Animal Agriculture Challenges facing Animal Agriculture Future technological possibilities A Way Forward Concluding remarks

3 World is in Transition More people (9 B by 2015)- Food Security Greater Consumption of Materials & Resources Need to Reduce Poverty without Destroying the Environment Energy availability, security and cost Climate change Water scarcity and quality Sustainable development

4 Sustainability - Principal Concept to Integrate Technological Economic Social Political Issues To address environmental protection, economic development & equity (3 e s)

5 Sustainable Development Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. WCED, Our Common Future, 1987

6 Sustainable Development Sustainable development is a process of change in which the direction of investment, the orientation of technology, the allocation of resources, and the development and functioning of institutions and advancment of human and community well-being meets present needs and aspirations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and aspirations. Adapted from Roy Weston

7 Many agricultural practices have unintended consequences water quality, greenhouse-gas emissions (GHG), degraded soil quality, loss of biodiversity and animal welfare Sustainability of agriculture has been much discussed and was addressed in the NRC Report (2010) by the Board on Agriculture & Natural Resources (BANR)

8 What is BANR? The Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources (BANR) is the major program unit of the National Research Council (NRC) responsible for organizing and overseeing studies on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and the use of land, water, and other natural resources.

9 Sustainable Agriculture (2010)

10 Four goals to define sustainable agriculture Satisfy human food, feed, and fiber needs, and contribute to biofuels needs. Enhance environmental quality and the resource base. Sustain the economic viability of agriculture. Enhance the quality of life for farmers, farm workers, and society as a whole.

11 Concept of converging technologies in agriculture, food and natural resources Challenges or threats of further population growth (9 B in 2050), Increasing hunger, Increasing water shortages, and climate volatility Can only be met by an enhanced integration of technologies encompassing a broad synergistic application of elements of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information science and cognitive science

12 Converging Technologies Biotechnology Nanotechnology Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Information Science Cognitive Science

13 Little BANG Technologies (convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science - termed NBIC by NSF) Bits for information science Atoms for nanotechnology Neurons for cognitive science Genes for biotechnology

14 Why Sustainable Communities? Population and economic growth will lead to increased adverse societal and environmental impacts, unless patterns of production and consumption can be changed A shift to clean and efficient technologies and a change to more sustainable life styles as well as the use of low impact products, is embodied in development of sustainable Communities

15 Sustainable Communities Live, Work & Play What are the characteristics of a sustainable community?

16 Toward a Sustainable Community Ideally a sustainable community will embody characteristics of: o renewable energy, o high level of energy conservation, o materials recycling, o close proximity for live-work-play environment, o local smart grid, o minimum GHG emissions, o minimum carbon footprint o healthy green buildings

17 Toward a Sustainable Community o efficient water and waste management, o urban design which is efficient and convenient, o significant food production, o green spaces, including biking & walking trails, o local business development, o community governance, o good communications (including Internet connections), o community center(s), o educational & recreational opportunities, and o diverse living environment (intergenerational, affordable housing, senior housing, assisted living)

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19 How to connect Sustainability and Animal Agriculture? Acknowledge perceptions Acknowledge challenges Create a new dynamic

20 Perceptions Animal Agriculture Inefficient conversion of potentially humanedible foods, largely cereal grains Bioenvironmental degradation through overgrazing or pollution of surface and ground water Adverse effects on human health from saturated fats and cholesterol in meats, dairy products and eggs Inefficient use of water and energy Animal welfare concerns Overuse of antimicrobials unecessarily

21 Challenges for Animal Agriculture (largely nontechnical) Address challenges of potential increased oversight on confinement (example of agreement between EPA and Iowa) Challenges over use of antimicrobials and concerns about antimicrobial resistance (relation to humans) Environmental effects on water and air pollution Concerns about food safety Labeling of foods? Structure of agriculture (ownership and control issues) Who benefits? Poor are often seen as most vulnerable. Consolidation of corporate power seen to marginalize farmers rights.

22 Challenges for Animal Agriculture (nontechnical)- continued Food is socially very sensitive, Lack of/or increasing regulations? Standards? Traceability Global land rush Public engagement is typically a reactive engagement rather than an inclusive and participatory one New advancements in alternative ways of producing foods (i.e. meat grown from stem cells, 3-D printing of foods, etc.)

23 Animal Health Monitoring and Management (potential application of nanoscale science and engineering) Applications of developmental biology for breeding, Detection processes to sense presence of residues, antibiotics, pathogens, toxins, etc., Process for early, even, pre-disease detection, rapid diagnosis, and prevention of diseases An integrated health monitoring process including therapeutic intervention as necessary, A process for identity tracking of animals from birth to the consumer s plate, New technologies such as nutrigenomics which will influence or control genetic expression, Major nutritional platforms which will alter food products (milk and meat) with healthful human benefits, Approaches to lessen greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from livestock, and Application of manure management processes to reduce GHG and produce renewable energy as distributed generators of electricity and heat.

24 A vision for the foreseeable future Holistic analyses across the areas of: food quality and safety, animal health monitoring and management, plant systems, environmental management, and social / ethical issues recognizing these subsystems of the whole agriculture, food and natural resources system.

25 Benefits from Animal Agriculture High nutrient density and nutritional quality Conversion of plant materials from non-arable land, crop residues and food-processing byproducts & some waste products Fibers, leathers, pharmaceuticals, etc. Manures as sources of organic plant nutrients & bioenergy Draught power for cultivation & transportation in developing countries Provide a means of savings, and a food reserve in cases of non-monetary economy Contribute to flexibility and stability of food systems

26 Important Progress for Sustainability Dairy industry has adopted goals for sustainability (Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy framework for a science-based tool for dairy producers and processors) indicators of energy use, water use, GHG emissions, working conditions, animal care and impacts on local economy. Egg industry likewise Beef industry beginning Global Salmon Initiative (15 leading farmed salmon producers-70% of farmed production)

27 Dairyville 2020 Diagram 27

28 Goals for Our Agricultural System Satisfy human food, feed, and fiber needs, and contribute to biofuels needs. Enhance environmental quality and the resource base. Sustain the economic viability of agriculture. Enhance the quality of life for farmers, farm workers, and society as a whole. Reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty world-wide.

29 Concluding Remarks Freeze agriculture s carbon footprint by slowing agricultural land expansion, in particular, loss of tropical forests. Reduce yield (production) gaps between existing growth (production) levels and the genetic potential for both plants and animals. Improve efficiencies of agriculture and natural resources (more output/input resource) Reduce diet gaps, changing the mix of food products to enhance food availability and reduce environmental impacts. Reduce food wastes at every level in the agriculture and food system. Integrate agriculture and food systems into sustainable community thinking, possible via opportunities for renewable, distributed energy generation, including possibly vertical farms in the urban area.

30 Systems make it possible, but people make it happen. Christensen