Use our pull-down menus to find more stories
  


OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine


Click here to read or make comments on this topic »

Kenya: Animal Welfare Crucial for Survival


The Nation (Nairobi)
 

Email This Page

Print This Page

Comment on this article

The Nation (Nairobi)

OPINION
24 April 2008
Posted to the web 24 April 2008

Othieno Joseph
Nairobi

FOOD SECURITY IS A CENTRAL issue that affects peace, development and health in society. Livestock minister Mohammed Kuti says Kenya is currently not allowed to sell its meat in the international market due to low production standards.

The challenge is, therefore, to address these standards, an exercise that must start at the stables rather than on the dining tables.

There exists a strong correlation between animal welfare, public health, food security and poverty alleviation. If the food we eat is secure, so will be our health. And when we are healthy, we will be strong enough to engage in economic activities, and therefore fight poverty.

This issue cannot be underestimated especially at a time when a food crisis looms in Kenya.

The economic losses caused by animal diseases are enormous and impact negatively on food security.

In 2001/2003, more than a million animals were slaughtered in Europe to control the foot-and-mouth disease. Britain incurred $8 billion losses due to the mad cow disease.

Today in Kenya, over 13 million shoats may be wiped out by the pestis des petit ruminants (PPR) if the disease isn't controlled on time.

Kenya should seize this opportunity to ensure food security by taking advantage of animal food sources to cushion against dwindling plant food sources.

It's unfortunate that animal welfare issues do not get enough attention whenever such crises occur, yet they form the first block in the domino effect. The ban on Kenya meat is a timely example; this will deny Government income that would have been used to buy food.

Animal welfare is about recognising that animals aren't economic commodities, but sentient beings capable of experiencing negative sensations and emotions, thus calling for maximum attention akin to that accorded to humans, if they are to produce maximally.

Animal welfare is under constant threat from human-imposed constraints; an animal's lifestyle is weighed against the standards of "efficient" production. Intensive farming systems degrade the environment and stress the animal, reducing its immunity to disease.

The situation is worse in developing countries that lack resources and manpower to handle animal welfare concerns.

This explains the incessant outbreak of preventable diseases in Africa, which is home to the largest percentage of the 800 million people likely to suffer from hunger.

Relevant Links

But where animals are properly taken care of, there is a reduction in risks to food security. If the Government gives animal welfare the priority it deserves, then this will serve as a cushion against the looming food shortage.



AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

 
Share this on:
Facebook
Digg
Del.icio.us
StumbleUpon
Muti


Copyright © 2008 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed

Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe

Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement.

HOME
allAfrica.com


Relevant Links




Fears of Food Shortages in the West
Link Between Crop Failure And Climate Change Often Missed
Govt On Spot Over Biofuel Production
Cattle Disease Traced From Tanzania
Italian Grant for Flood Relief And Fight Against Cholera





Today's Most Active Stories