Content uploaded by Kuldeep Dhama
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Kuldeep Dhama on Jun 11, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
Future Challenges of Food Security and Sustainable Livestock Production in India in the Changing Climatic Scenario
Abstract
Today about 7.08 billion people inhabit the earth. Presently to feed every one adequately the world needs 2800 million tonnes of cereals, against which global production is only 2100 million tonnes. This discrepancy in need and production has left over 868 million people undernourished worldwide and 850 million of them live in developing countries. On the other hand rapid urbanization, increasing purchasing power and shift in diet is pushing demand for richer diets and protein of animal origin. By 2050, consumption of meat and dairy products not the butter is projected to increase by 173% and 158%, respectively, as that of 2010. To meet the growing demand and to cope with 9 billion world population by 2050, agricultural production needs to increase by 60% (compared to 2005/2007 production) including of increase in animal production and animal products. Feeding this burgeoning population with the available 0.23 hectares of cropland per capita is one of the biggest challenges. Apart from this, the world is facing another biggest challenge of climatic change. Simply, if the “business as usual scenario” continues it requires three earth planets to supply the resources for human population consumes, and to assimilate associated wastes it generates in 2050. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to throw light on the future challenges of population rise, limited natural resources and climate change to ensure food security in India and the world with major emphasis on sustainable livestock production.
... The current system of livestock production system in Africa may not respond to the future demands since too many animals are producing at low levels when compared to natural resource base. Food security can be achieved by closing 'yield gaps,' increasing crop and livestock production efficiency, reducing waste in the food supply chain; crop/livestock diversification and integration; conserving crop wild relatives and agro biodiversity and by adopting greenhouse gas abatement and production enhancement technologies in agriculture and animal husbandry (Tiwari et al. 2014). According to Tiwari et al. (2014), application of these measures together could double the food production with available resources without increasing environmental impacts. ...
... Food security can be achieved by closing 'yield gaps,' increasing crop and livestock production efficiency, reducing waste in the food supply chain; crop/livestock diversification and integration; conserving crop wild relatives and agro biodiversity and by adopting greenhouse gas abatement and production enhancement technologies in agriculture and animal husbandry (Tiwari et al. 2014). According to Tiwari et al. (2014), application of these measures together could double the food production with available resources without increasing environmental impacts. Smallholder's intensification and linking them with corporate bodies and modern retail food supply chains needs urgent attention since they hold majority of livestock in the country and play a major role in food security and environmental stability (Tiwari et al. 2014). ...
... According to Tiwari et al. (2014), application of these measures together could double the food production with available resources without increasing environmental impacts. Smallholder's intensification and linking them with corporate bodies and modern retail food supply chains needs urgent attention since they hold majority of livestock in the country and play a major role in food security and environmental stability (Tiwari et al. 2014). To avoid harmful effects of global warming, small changes in our day to day life style is a crucial turning point which need due attention. ...
Crop-livestock is a form of land use system whereby livestock husbandry and cropping are practiced in association. The production system safeguards ecosystem balance and assures sustainable production; besides, the production system does not impact on the environment negatively. The burgeoning human population globally has increased the spate of food insecurity and malnutrition especially in the developing countries. There is therefore an urgent need for a better, efficient and sustainable production system capable of providing both crop and animal products for the teeming human population. Crop-livestock integrated production system seems to provide opportunity for the production and supply of food of both crop and animal origin without detrimental impact on the fragile environment. In this integrated system, crop and livestock interact to create synergy that allows ecosystem balance and sustainable production intensification. In this chapter, comprehensive documentation of the concept, principles, and practices of crop – livestock production system have been made. Also, the importance of this integrated production system on ecosystem balance and sustainable crop and livestock production have been presented.
... Food insecurity is a critical global public health issue, primarily affecting developing countries because of poverty (Abafita and Kim 2014;Shakeel and Shazli 2021;Mazenda et al. 2022). Developing nations account for a significant portion of the world's undernourished population, with 850 million of 868 million people facing undernourishment (Tiwari et al. 2014), creating a substantial gap between global demand and development. As the global population is expected to reach about nine billion by 2050, the demand for animal products is projected to quadruple, adding further stress to food systems (Kharas 2010). ...
Context
Food security is one of the major concerns in the Philippines. Although livestock and poultry production accounts for a significant proportion of the country’s agricultural output, smallholder households are still vulnerable to food insecurity.
Aims
The current study aims to examine how livestock production and selling difficulties affect food-insecure conditions of smallholder households.
Methods
The study employed the mindsponge theory as its theoretical foundation for constructing the models. Subsequently, it applied the Bayesian mindsponge framework (BMF) analytics to analyse a dataset sourced from the Data in Emergencies Monitoring (DIEM) system of the Food and Agriculture Organization. Key variables in the dataset were transformed into indicators, enabling a detailed examination of smallholder livestock farmers’ difficulties in production or selling over the past 3 months. Production difficulties include hurdles in raising and producing livestock, covering aspects such as resource acquisition, animal health, and breeding. Selling difficulties involve obstacles in selling livestock products, including issues related to market access, pricing, and transportation.
Key results
Production and selling difficulties significantly adversely affect food security in the Philippines, with varying impacts according to the severity of food insecurity. In particular, production and selling difficulties equally affect the households’ likelihood of eating less healthy and nutritious food. However, the production difficulties have more negligible impacts on the possibility of skipping meals than do selling difficulties, and even ambiguous impacts on the likelihood of not eating for a whole day compared with the effects of selling difficulties. Moreover, we also found that the market plays a crucial role in facilitating not only livestock trading but also livestock production (e.g. purchase of feed and medicines).
Conclusions
Our research has highlighted the complex connection among livestock, markets, and food security within the Philippine setting. It emphasised the significant impact of selling difficulties, particularly the heavy reliance on nearby local and regional markets, in exacerbating the severity of food insecurity.
Implications
On the basis of these findings, we suggest that the livestock market needs to be expanded and regulated to balance livestock products and services used for livestock production and facilitate the product-exchanging mechanism.
... Food insecurity is a critical global public health issue, primarily affecting developing countries because of poverty (Abafita and Kim 2014;Shakeel and Shazli 2021;Mazenda et al. 2022). Developing nations account for a significant portion of the world's undernourished population, with 850 million of 868 million people facing undernourishment (Tiwari et al. 2014), creating a substantial gap between global demand and development. As the global population is expected to reach about nine billion by 2050, the demand for animal products is projected to quadruple, adding further stress to food systems (Kharas 2010). ...
Food security is one of the major concerns in the Philippines. Although livestock and poultry production accounts for a significant proportion of the country’s agricultural output, smallholder households are still vulnerable to food insecurity. The current study aims to examine how livestock production and selling difficulties affect smallholder households’ food-insecure conditions. For this objective, Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics was employed on a dataset of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Data in Emergencies Monitoring (DIEM) system. We found that production and selling difficulties significantly adversely affect food insecurity in the Philippines. However, their effects vary according to the severity of food insecurity. In particular, production and selling difficulties affect the households’ likelihood of eating less healthy and nutritious food equally. However, the production difficulties have more negligible impacts on the possibility of skipping meals and even ambiguous impacts on the likelihood of not eating for a whole day compared to the effects of selling difficulties. Moreover, we also found that the market plays a crucial role in facilitating not only livestock trading but also livestock production (e.g., purchase of feed and medicines). Based on these findings, we suggest that the livestock market needs to be expanded and regulated to maintain the balancing prices between livestock products and products and services used for livestock production, and facilitate the product-exchanging mechanism.
... Livestock production with special emphasis on productivity and product yield were observed as major means of promoting food security through proper breeding of animals, the introduction of feeding strategies for optimum animal performance and health management practices. These will promote animals' capacity for high productivity and sustainable management of natural resources-which are the need for re-introduction of grazing reserve as a strategy for sustainable development (Rupasi et al., 2014). ...
Nigeria is one of the most malnourished and hunger ridden in the league of developing countries; according to reports of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of United Nations estimated daily animal protein intake for developing countries averaged at 4.5 g/head/day at the beginning of this century which has hardly risen to 10 g/head/day into the second decade of the century in Nigeria. This calls for an increase in the supply of animal protein to address the poor intake, but Nigeria's animal protein supply depends on pastoral livestock production on extensive natural grassland. This production system is under challenges of climate and poor production techniques; hence government effort towards improvement via the establishment of grazing reserves is a way out. Therefore, this paper discusses Nigerian livestock production, climate change effects on Nigeria livestock production and its social implications, including food insecurity. We also consider sources of ethnoreligious violence linked to livestock production in Nigeria, grazing reserve bills (proposed legislation) in Nigeria the proponents, the opponents and what are the pitfalls the rationale for modification and re-introduction of grazing reserves bill in Nigeria and the potential of some models such as the Taylor Grazing Reserve Act of the United States of America.
... While several important traits such as disease and parasite tolerance, heat tolerance, and adaptation to low-quality feed resources are attributed to native populations, number of low-input local populations of animals has been continuously declining (Hoffmann 2010). Unforeseeable changes in climate, emerging diseases, and changes in the nutritional needs of human community are some of the future challenges of livestock production (FAO 2007;Tiwari et al. 2014). Maintenance of adaptive and neutral diversity must be considered in order to conserve the potential to react to the future challenges (Medugorac et al. 2011). ...
Comprehensive identification of the breed characteristics is essential for the effective management of farm animal genetic resources. The objective of this study was to estimate effective population size, genomic inbreeding coefficients, autozygosity derived from runs of homozygosity, and genetic diversity in Iranian native cattle using dense SNP markers. Ten samples per breed were collected from eight Iranian native cattle breeds representing the Sarabi, Kurdi, Najdi, Taleshi, Mazandarani, Pars, Kermani, and Sistani breeds. Samples were genotyped for 777,962 SNPs using the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip, and after quality control 450,341 SNPs were kept for further analyses. The estimated effective population size (Ne) was relatively small for all breeds, varying from Ne = 13 (Sarabi) to Ne = 107 (Mazandarani). Analysis of runs of homozygosity in different cut-off lengths was applied to provide information on the recent and ancient inbreeding occurrences in each population. The inbreeding coefficients estimated by runs of homozygosity varied between breeds. Sarabi, Pars, and Sistani breeds had higher proportion of long runs of homozygosity, likely to reflect recent inbreeding, while Kermani breed had the higher number of short runs of homozygosity. Some breeds such as Sarabi, Sistani, Pars, Taleshi, and Kermani are exposed to serious risk of extinction and other breeds, except Mazandarani, have no promising situations. Higher priority should be given to conservation programming in Sarabi and Sistani breeds due to unique genetic composition and critical conservation status.
... Many of these persons are smallholders, for whom livestock represent a source of food and income, while serving also as a means for accumulating wealth. The increasing global demand for livestock products will create opportunities for smallholders to generate higher incomes, provided they have access to output markets and to the inputs and capital needed to expand their operations in sustainable fashion, while maintaining risk at acceptable levels [149,150]. ...
Food production in 2050 will be sufficient, globally, but many of the poor will remain food insecure. The primary cause of food insecurity will continue to be poverty, rather than inadequate food production. Thus, policies and investments that increase the incomes of the poor will remain the best ways to extend food security to all. Investments that promote growth in sustainable agriculture and provide non-farm employment opportunities in rural areas of lower income countries will be most helpful. There will be sufficient water, globally, to achieve food production goals and sustain rural and urban livelihoods, if we allocate and manage the resource wisely. Yet, water shortages will constrain agricultural production and limit incomes and livelihood opportunities in many areas. Policies and investments are needed to extend and ensure access to water for household use and agricultural production. Challenges requiring the attention of policy makers and investors include increasing urbanization and increasing demands for land and water resources. Policy makers must ensure that farmers retain access to the water they need for producing food and sustaining livelihoods, and they must create greater opportunities for women in agriculture. They must also motivate investments in new technologies that will enhance crop and livestock production, particularly for smallholders, and encourage the private sector to invest in activities that create employment opportunities in rural areas.
The livestock sector is a significant contributor to the livelihoods of the world's poor and is the fastest-growing field of agricultural output worldwide. Food based on livestock is complete in all respects, being rich in calories, proteins, and lipids that are essential for the ideal growth of the human body. Even now, a heavy emphasis needs to be put on the quality control and well-being of these products. This can be done effectively by growing knowledge among livestock farmers of good management practices (GMPs) and good farming practices (GHPs) that will eventually lead to clean, healthy, and balanced food production. Food security can be accomplished by narrowing “yield gaps,” growing the productivity of crop and livestock, eliminating waste in the food supply chain, diversification and incorporation of crops and livestock, maintaining agrobiodiversity, and introducing greenhouse gas management and advanced production technology in the agriculture and livestock sectors. A sustainable rise in livestock production is a requirement for fulfilling the future demand for livestock products. As a consequence of climate change and market factors, food security policies would need to be complex and compatible with increasing livestock production practices.
The polyphenol resveratrol is an antioxidant nutrient, used to enhance growth performance through activation and modification of gut function and structure and to inhibit cancer initiation and promotion. The main application of resveratrol is in animal and poultry nutrition, in particular as a feed additive to reduce free radicals in a wide variety of animal species. Several studies carried out on diets supplemented with additives containing natural antioxidants as resveratrol demonstrated its capability to improve the productive performance, immune response and health of livestock besides reducing the risks of various animal diseases such as cancer and other degenerative diseases. Such activities could be attributed to its powerful antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects by preventing free radicals from interacting with cellular DNA and its ability to alter the intestinal microbiota, increased digestibility and absorbance of nutrients. This review describes the modes of action, metabolism, the biological activities, natural sources and beneficial aspects/potential applications of resveratrol in animal and poultry nutrition, production and health.
The polyphenol resveratrol is an antioxidant nutrient, used to enhance growth performance through activation and modification of gut function and structure and to inhibit cancer initiation and promotion. The main application of resveratrol is in animal and poultry nutrition, in particular as a feed additive to reduce free radicals in a wide variety of animal species. Several studies carried out on diets supplemented with additives containing natural antioxidants as resveratrol demonstrated its capability to improve the productive performance, immune response and health of livestock besides reducing the risks of various animal diseases such as cancer and other degenerative diseases. Such activities could be attributed to its powerful antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects by preventing free radicals from interacting with cellular DNA and its ability to alter the intestinal microbiota, increased digestibility and absorbance of nutrients. This review describes the modes of action, metabolism, the biological activities, natural sources and beneficial aspects/potential applications of resveratrol in animal and poultry nutrition, production and health.
The present water policy debate is dominated by the 30 yr old mission to secure water supply and sanitation to all people. The water needed to produce a nutritionally acceptable diet for one person is however 70 times as large as the amount needed for domestic water supply. The food security dilemma is largest in arid climate regions, a situation constituting a formidable challenge. It is suggested that an additional 5 600 km3/yr of consumptive water use will be needed to produce an adequate amount of food by 2050 – i.e almost a doubling of today’s consumptive use of 6800 km3/yr. Past misinterpretations and conceptual deficiencies show the importance of a shift in thinking. Combining the scale of the challenge and the time scale of the efforts to feed humanity and eradicate hunger leads to an impression of great urgency. This urgency strengthens the call for international research both for supporting agricultural upgrading, and for much better handling of issues of environmental sustainability. What stands out is the need of a new generation of water professionals, able to handle complexity and able to incorporate water implications of land use and of ecosystem health in integrated water resources management. It will for those reasons be essential and urgent to upgrade the educational system to producing this new generation.
Asian agriculture is responsible for two thirds of global agricultural GDP. There have been numerous studies exploring the impact of climate change on crops in specific locations in Asia but no study has yet analyzed crops across the entire continent. This study relies on a Ricardian study of China that estimated climate coefficients for Chinese crops. These coefficients are then used to interpolate potential climate damages across the continent. With carbon fertilization, the model predicts small aggregate effects with a 1.5°C warming but damages of about US$84 billion with 3°C warming. India is predicted to be especially vulnerable.
The main causes of stagnant agriculture include depletion and degradation of natural resources, increasing biotic and abiotic stresses, poor seed replacement rate, soil nutrients draining excessively, indiscriminate use of pesticides, changing soil microbial dynamism, lack of low input-highly profitable concept of technologies and overall lack of attempt for holistic approach to address problems. The present study discusses the novel approaches
evaluated using low input-highly profitable technologies. Benefit: cost (B:C) ratio in various models of integrated
farming system (IFS) ranged from 2.4-3.0 in comparison to 1.5-1.6 in traditional farming. Optimum utilization of
family manpower in various IFS models was 67 to 187 man days/year during 3 years observation period. Resource generation options explored were goat, rural poultry (new technology), pig, high value vegetables (off season), cut flowers, cash crops, subsidiary units as apiculture and mushrooms. Two models of rural poultry production were
developed aiming the landless and marginal farmers for resource generation and to diversify the livelihood base and self-employment. Integration of all the 3 models (third model of local chick production) enhanced production and
profitability many times and B:C above 7.0. The novel low cost preventive and therapeutic formulation against mastitis and anestrous/infertility were also developed. A bio-enhancer (CSR-BIO) comprising consortium of microbes enhanced nutrient uptake and increased yield by 20-39% in sodic as well as normal soil. This created sustainable livelihood security and will also assure environmental security. Improved concept and models named as specialized IFS (SIFS) was developed with holistic approach and gave encourage results.
Since the origin of earth temperature has played a significant role in the beginning of life on this planet. Continuous increase in the temperature of the earth is referred to as global warming that may have long term effect. Increased use of fossil fuels; use of natural gas and coal; population explosion; industrial wastes and agricultural fertilizers along with anthropogenic activities contribute to global warming. Increased level of Carbon dioxide (CO2) also has a negative impact on the marine ecosystem. The outcomes of global warming include rise in sea levels and expansion of tropical and sub-tropical deserts. Importantly, the risk of contracting diseases both in human and animals increases. Increase in global temperature primarily by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, has lead to the emergence of threat of diseases in human and animals particularly those of vector borne diseases like Blue tongue, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue, Hanta virus etc. Species extinctions due to change in habitats and transport of livestock facilitates movements of viruses and arthropods (especially ticks) from one place to another. Variation of temperature and humidity have lead to increased growth of bushy plants, thereby increasing rodent population thus causing an increased risk of contracting various rodent borne infections (viz. Leptospirosis; Plague etc.). El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal on vector-borne diseases due to changes in temperature have direct effects (in form of flood, famine, drought and extreme weather conditions of heat and cold) and indirect effects (in terms of changes in transmission and outbreaks of infectious diseases, especially of the diseases transmitted by vectors and vehicles) on human health. To mitigate the effect of global climatic change on infectious disease incidences and geographic spread, combined efforts consisting of mitigation to reduce further emissions of greenhouse gas; adaptation of intervention measures to reduce the damage caused by warming and geo-engineering (recycling) to reverse global warming must be properly implemented. In addition, vector control, improved reporting of animal diseases affected by climate change, strengthening of surveillance and disease investigation capacities in human and animal population, association and coordination of Medical and Veterinary institutions with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as international professional bodies and animal welfare organizations are all crucial to prevent and control emerging infectious diseases linked to global warming. Researchers, scientists, professional, environmentalist, administration, government and persons must work together to overcome this threat. The present paper describes the problem of global warming in general, its causes and multi-dimensional impacts, effect on animal productivity, interaction between climate change, pathogen and vectors, and presents a special focus on important emerging pathogens / infectious diseases of animals and humans being flaring up due to fluctuating environmental conditions, appropriate prevention and control measures to be followed to combat global warming in the current scenario and future perspectives.
The effects of probiotic-vitacogen and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) supplementation on methanogesis, energy and nitrogen utilization in replacement dairy cows were evaluated. A basal diet comprising orchardgrass hay, lucerne hay cube and concentrate (2:2:1, DM basis) were fed with or without supplements to four cows at 80 g DM /kgBW0.75 per day in a 4x4 Latin square arrangement. The four treatments were; 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet plus 100 g probiotic-vitacogen, 3) basal diet plus 50 g GOS, 4) basal diet plus 50 g GOS and 100 g probiotic-vitacogen. Nutrient apparent digestibility was not altered by the effect of supplementation. Nitrogen intake was significantly (p<0.001) higher for the two vitacogen-supplemented diets compared to control and GOS supplemented diets. However, vitacogen supplemented diets had numerically higher fecal and urinary nitrogen losses, thereby, having lower nitrogen retention compared to control and GOS supplemented diets. Gross energy intake was also significantly (p<0.05) higher for vitacogen-supplemented diets compared to control and GOS diets, however, due to higher losses in feces, urine, methane and heat, GOS supplemented diet had numerically higher energy retention. There was an 11% reduction in methane emission (liters/day) in GOS supplemented diet compared to control diet. However, the combination of GOS with vitacogen resulted in an increased methane emission. When expressed per unit of animal production (g/kg live-weight gain), methane production tended to be lower in vitacogen-supplemented diets compared to control and GOS diets. The supplementation of replacement dairy cows with GOS reduced methane emission (liters/day), while, vitacogen supplementation reduced methane emission per unit animal production. The two feed supplements may contribute to the abatement of methane as a greenhouse gas.
Human history is characterized by a series of changes in the diet and nutritional status. This chapter explores the dietary and overall nutritional change from a broad historical perspective. The concept of transitions or movement from one state or condition to another is used to capture the dynamic nature of diet. It is important to understand these broad changes in dietary patterns and the factors considered as determinants or important correlates of the patterns of dietary change. The ultimate goal is to understand the various factors that cause or are associated with these dietary changes so that one can better understand how to promote dietary change systematically. The transitions that have occurred in nutrition are avoidable and an understanding of the patterns and sources of change will serve as a basis for future interventions at the population level to lead to more healthful transitions. The theory of the nutrition transition posits that these changes or stages relate to the complex interplay of changes in patterns of agricultural, health, and socioeconomic factors, among others. It is relatively easy to present a case that to understand the nutrition transition one requires a broad-based examination of the patterns and determinants of dietary change. One needs to be concerned with food supply to agricultural systems and agricultural technology, as well as to the factors that affect the demand and use of food, which include economic resources, demographic patterns, various cultural, and knowledge factors associated with food choice, and also disease patterns, sociological considerations, such as the role of women and family structure.
Twelve adult male crossbred (SahiwalHolstein Friesian) cattle were distributed into four groups of three each on body weight basis. Animals were given wheat straw as a basal diet. The animals of group I and II were supplemented with concentrate mixture and animals of group III and IV were supplemented with cold processed urea molasses mineral block (UMMB). Thirty mg monensin/day/animal was supplemented to the animals of group II and 35 ppm monensin were incorporated in the UMMB supplemented to the animals of group IV. Vit.A and D mixture was given to all the animals once a week. Dry matter (DM) intake (kg/d) through wheat straw was 19.0 percent higher in the UMMB (without monensin) supplemented group (group III) than those of the concentrate mixture (without monensin) supplemented group i.e. group I. Total DM intake (kg/d) was lower in the monensin supplemented groups than those of non-supplemented groups though differences were not statistically significant. Digestible dry matter, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) intake were similar in all the groups. Average block consumption for 45 d period in the group III (0.95 kg/d) and group IV (0.84 kg/d) did not differ significantly. DM digestibility (%) was significantly (p