Tribute overlooks lack of farm biodiversity
The United Nations has declared 2010 the International
Year of Biodiversity, and on May 22, the world celebrated
International Biodiversity Day.
This recognition of biodiversity's importance to the planet is timely and important because around the globe species from all walks of life are disappearing at roughly 1,000 times the natural rate. The term biodiversity, which simply means variety of life, instantly conjures images of rich natural ecosystems like tropical rainforests and coral reefs. Abundant and endangered ecosystems such as these were earned plenty of media attention on Biodiversity Day, and rightly so. But life's diversity is not confined to the wilderness. Since the dawn of agriculture humans have painstakingly cultivated an abundant assortment of crops and livestock that have proven their worth over time by providing for our very survival. And this irreplaceable inheritance is in greater peril than one might think.
Over the last half century modern commercial agriculture has opted to cultivate relatively few breeds and varieties of species in its single-minded pursuit of cost savings and efficiency. For livestock producers, this has meant an emphasis on breeds that meet a narrow range of characteristics such as the animal's size, growth rate, and ability to withstand the crowded conditions found on a typical factory farm. As a result, throughout the world, breeds of farm animals are disappearing at a rate of one per month.
Historically, farmers set great store in other qualities when selecting livestock. Breeds that thrived under local climate conditions or on available feed were encouraged, as were those that gave birth to young with few complications. Chickens that made great layers and broilers were prized rather than one or the other. Likewise cattle that could be milked for years before they went to slaughter. And hardy livestock naturally resistant to ailments and disease were also sought after.
Over centuries, the broad spectrum of characteristics valued by farmers throughout the world produced an amazing variety within domesticated species. These “heritage breeds” form a legacy that today is increasingly threatened by extinction. Worldwide, roughly 30 per cent are at risk.
Meanwhile, intensive livestock operations, which have been expanding since the 1970s and now dominate animal agriculture, increasingly rely on a very narrow gene pool of factory farm-adapted breeds that grow fast, produce at a younger age and can survive crowded conditions. The loss of biodiversity among industrial livestock creates problems such as excessive aggression, inability to breed naturally, brittle bones, and poor immunity. The reliance on just few breeds makes these intensive production systems highly vulnerable to massive disease outbreaks due to the genetic uniformity of the susceptible animals or birds. Because these operations dominate our food production system, they eliminate farmers that raise biodiverse heritage breeds on a smaller scale and outdoors. The resulting irreversible loss of biodiversity diminishes both our heritage and our options for the future.
As factory farms proliferate, traditional farms raising heritage breeds disappear and with them names like Canadienne Cow, Barred Rock hen, Tamworth Pig and Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey may end up being consigned to the history books. This phenomenon extends beyond our borders as Canadian factory farmed exports also compete with and undermine heritage producers abroad.
Diminishing livestock diversity affects more than producers. Options at the dinner table are reduced as well — chefs have a smaller palette of flavours to work with, and the range of options for specialty foodstuffs like cured meats and cheeses is limited.
When biodiversity suffers, we all do. We forfeit our heritage along with our prospects and future potential in return for a world where the variety of life and the wealth that springs from it is diminished. But we can easily influence the state of biodiversity here in Canada and around the globe, for better or worse, every time we choose what to eat. It's food for thought.
Cathy Holtslander has been involved in environmental advocacy with a focus on agriculture and food since the mid 1990s. Based in Saskatoon, Holtslander is a founding member of Beyond Factory Farming- a national advocacy group that promotes socially responsible livestock production in Canada. For more information, including sources of meat and eggs from heritage livestock breeds, see www.beyondfactoryfarming.org
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
This recognition of biodiversity's importance to the planet is timely and important because around the globe species from all walks of life are disappearing at roughly 1,000 times the natural rate. The term biodiversity, which simply means variety of life, instantly conjures images of rich natural ecosystems like tropical rainforests and coral reefs. Abundant and endangered ecosystems such as these were earned plenty of media attention on Biodiversity Day, and rightly so. But life's diversity is not confined to the wilderness. Since the dawn of agriculture humans have painstakingly cultivated an abundant assortment of crops and livestock that have proven their worth over time by providing for our very survival. And this irreplaceable inheritance is in greater peril than one might think.
Over the last half century modern commercial agriculture has opted to cultivate relatively few breeds and varieties of species in its single-minded pursuit of cost savings and efficiency. For livestock producers, this has meant an emphasis on breeds that meet a narrow range of characteristics such as the animal's size, growth rate, and ability to withstand the crowded conditions found on a typical factory farm. As a result, throughout the world, breeds of farm animals are disappearing at a rate of one per month.
Historically, farmers set great store in other qualities when selecting livestock. Breeds that thrived under local climate conditions or on available feed were encouraged, as were those that gave birth to young with few complications. Chickens that made great layers and broilers were prized rather than one or the other. Likewise cattle that could be milked for years before they went to slaughter. And hardy livestock naturally resistant to ailments and disease were also sought after.
Over centuries, the broad spectrum of characteristics valued by farmers throughout the world produced an amazing variety within domesticated species. These “heritage breeds” form a legacy that today is increasingly threatened by extinction. Worldwide, roughly 30 per cent are at risk.
Meanwhile, intensive livestock operations, which have been expanding since the 1970s and now dominate animal agriculture, increasingly rely on a very narrow gene pool of factory farm-adapted breeds that grow fast, produce at a younger age and can survive crowded conditions. The loss of biodiversity among industrial livestock creates problems such as excessive aggression, inability to breed naturally, brittle bones, and poor immunity. The reliance on just few breeds makes these intensive production systems highly vulnerable to massive disease outbreaks due to the genetic uniformity of the susceptible animals or birds. Because these operations dominate our food production system, they eliminate farmers that raise biodiverse heritage breeds on a smaller scale and outdoors. The resulting irreversible loss of biodiversity diminishes both our heritage and our options for the future.
As factory farms proliferate, traditional farms raising heritage breeds disappear and with them names like Canadienne Cow, Barred Rock hen, Tamworth Pig and Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey may end up being consigned to the history books. This phenomenon extends beyond our borders as Canadian factory farmed exports also compete with and undermine heritage producers abroad.
Diminishing livestock diversity affects more than producers. Options at the dinner table are reduced as well — chefs have a smaller palette of flavours to work with, and the range of options for specialty foodstuffs like cured meats and cheeses is limited.
When biodiversity suffers, we all do. We forfeit our heritage along with our prospects and future potential in return for a world where the variety of life and the wealth that springs from it is diminished. But we can easily influence the state of biodiversity here in Canada and around the globe, for better or worse, every time we choose what to eat. It's food for thought.
Cathy Holtslander has been involved in environmental advocacy with a focus on agriculture and food since the mid 1990s. Based in Saskatoon, Holtslander is a founding member of Beyond Factory Farming- a national advocacy group that promotes socially responsible livestock production in Canada. For more information, including sources of meat and eggs from heritage livestock breeds, see www.beyondfactoryfarming.org
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
