Sustainability
Food Safety & Food Security
Animal-sourced food is a key part of a healthy diet when consumed in appropriate amounts. It provides high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Hence, animal-sourced food contributes to food security in certain contexts by providing nutritious food, a source of employment and income, and even indirectly, by producing manure for crop production.
Poor animal health and welfare threatens food security because it reduces productivity, increases waste, and by fostering, for example, disease outbreaks, it can contribute to economic losses associated therein. According to a new report by FAO, one third of food-borne diseases are caused by contaminated animal food sources.
Animal welfare therefore has a significant influence on food safety. Poor animal welfare conditions (on-farm management and practices, transport and slaughter) can therefore impact the supply chain for animal-based foods. In particular, it increases the risk of zoonotic and foodborne diseases and increases the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance because it can cause stress-induced immunosuppression and because it increases the risk that foodborne pathogens will shed.
Animal welfare should be endorsed in all strategies aiming to improve food security and safety.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
In this evidence and policy overview article, the FAO provides information about the contribution of animals to healthy diets, including how welfare affects food quality and safety.
www.fao.org/3/cc3912en/cc3912en.pdf
World Federation for Animals (WFA)
Leading animal advocacy organizations united globally in 2020 to form WFA published an important report on the relationship between Animal Welfare and Sustainable Development, including food security and safety in relation to welfare of animals.
wfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Unveiling-the-Nexus-The-Interdependence-of-Animal-Welfare-Environment-Sustainable-Development.pdf
Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL)
Animal health and welfare for sustainable livestock systems
www.livestockdialogue.org/fileadmin/templates/res_livestock/docs/Action_Networks/GASL_Booklet_Health_and_Welfare_30-09-2022_Medium.pdf
Compassion in World Farming & WSPA
The GASL as a multi-stakeholder partnership considers good animal health and welfare as a requisite for the sustainable development of the livestock sector.
www.ciwf.org.uk/media/3758836/Food-security-and-farm-animal-welfare-report.pdf
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
In this article, the European authority explains the link between animal welfare and health and foodborne diseases.
www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/animal-welfare#:~:text=The%20safety%20of%20the%20food,diseases%20among%20animals