ch02.

Since domestic animals, especially cattle, are being blamed for all kinds of disasters varying from the decline of civilization to famine, pestilence, destruction and death, it is only proper that a short portion of this document be dedicated to the defense of livestock. Domestic ruminants and mankind have been associated with each other for centuries. Mankind has depended and still depends on ruminant livestock for food, byproducts and services. At the same time, ruminants have depended and still depend on man for their welfare.

The basic importance of ruminants to mankind lies in the fact that they can obtain their nourishment from fibrous forage and agricultural and industrial byproducts which people cannot directly consume or utilize. In turn, ruminants provide mankind with food, byproducts and services. About 50% of the earth's land surface is incapable of producing anything other than fibrous forage (Williams, et al., 1968). This land would be of little use to mankind without ruminant livestock.

The quantities of crop, fish, animal and industrial byproducts are astounding. All crops produce many more byproducts than products. For example, corn produces two times more byproducts than grain during the food processing stage, not including field by-products (Kassila, 1983). Many byproducts are processed and sold as feed, adding to the economy and possibly reducing the cost of food.

Garbage disposal is a serious environmental problem which would be more serious without ruminants. The processing of food crops for human consumption results in tremendous amounts of byproducts which are consumed by ruminants and converted into human food. If it were not for livestock, the disposal of this material would create an additional burden to an already overloaded garbage disposal system.

Ruminant products, services and values

Nutritious Food

Meat and milk are excellent foods containing many of the nutrients needed by humans. An outstanding attribute is that they provide an adequate supply and proper balance of ten essential amino acids (protein building blocks). Small quantities of meat and milk added to cereal and root diets can prevent the adverse effects of protein deficiency, such as the killer disease kwashiorkor, which also causes irreversible mental and physical retardation during a child's formative years, poor fetus development, inadequate body maintenance and many other health problems.

Total reported cattle and buffalo, sheep and goat meat production in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1991 was 10,533 million metric tons (FAO, 1991). Total reported fresh whole cow, sheep and goat milk production was 42,599 million tons (FAO, 1991). Portions of this are processed into cheese, butter, ghee, powdered milk and evaporated condensed milk for economic, conservation and distribution reasons. In respect to food supplies per capita per day in 1990, animals provided 18% of 2,693 calories, 43% of 66.8 grams of protein and 44% of 75.6 grams of fat.

The contribution of ruminants to national food supplies are even greater than indicated in the FAO Production Yearbook. The contributions of the llama and alpaca, which are also used for meat, are not included. Farm and village slaughtered animals, especially tropical sheep and goats, do not show up in national inventories. Many countries do not report goat meat and milk production to FAO, although the quantities are known to be quite high.

In spite of these discrepancies, it is obvious that domestic stock are making significant contributions towards nutritious diets in the Region. Statistics show that available calories, protein and fat of animal origin per capita per day are much higher in Latin America and the Caribbean than in any other developing region (FAO, 1991). The animals are valuable for this reason, if for no other reason, and attempts to eliminate them would be pure folly.

Clothing and Comfort

The Region produced 175,749 tons of scoured wool in 1991, along with 1,336 million tons of fresh cow hides, 86,000 tons of fresh sheepskins and 25,000 tons of fresh goat skins (FAO, 1991) plus an unknown amount of alpaca and llama hair. The hides and skins are processed into leather for the manufacture of shoes, clothes, furniture and other products.

While wool is exported, much of it is used for the manufacture of cloth and clothing items. Large amounts are used by cottage industries in the fabrication of sweaters, shawls, capes, socks, gloves and other such items to add to one's comfort during winter. Llama hair is used in the cottage industry for rug making and some countries manufacture woolen rugs. Alpaca fiber is highly prized by the textile industry and the price is usually two to three times that of sheep's wool.

Employment

Data is insufficient to determine the extent of either self-employment or employment due to both the rearing of stock and associated agribusinesses; marketing, processing, distribution, wholesaling, retailing, etc. It must be very large, involving millions of individuals. An estimate to demonstrate the extent of employment created by livestock is nevertheless attempted.

The Region's population in 1991 was 457 million, of which 162 million or 35% were economically active and 41 million or 25.6% of this group were active in agriculture. It is reasonable to assume that at least two-thirds of those individuals economically active in agriculture were also active in livestock production.

Cardozo (1984) reported that all of the small farm holders in the Altiplanos of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru owned some livestock. Personal experience indicates that the vast majority of the 13 million small farms in Central America and the Caribbean are stocked in part with livestock, particularly tropical sheep and/or goats. Nearly all the Savannah, the Pampa, the Patagonia and the arid and semiarid areas are utilized by livestock. Thus, it appears safe to assume that around 27 million of those economically active in agriculture were either fully or partly employed by the livestock sector, including self-employment.

A very conservative employment multiplier of 3, from the farm gate to the consumer, would result in a total of 81 million employed people due to domestic livestock. According to this estimate, 17% of the Region's total population and 50% of the economically active population is employed, at least in part, by the livestock sector.

Security and Stability

Livestock are like bank savings accounts (perhaps better because their values increase with inflation) to many landowners, particularly those with small and marginal holdings. The animals are kept when times are good and sold during family emergencies, such as sickness or when crops fail creating food and income crises.

Studies indicate that mixed-farming systems result in higher and more secure net incomes than crop production alone. As an example, in a study conducted in Colombia, animals represented 45.2% of a farm's revenue, requiring only 7.7% of the farm labour. Each unit of labour for livestock contributed 5.9% to the farm income whereas each unit of labour for other activities contributed only 0.49%. Another study in Colombia showed that animals represented 70% of the net income in integrated farming systems because production costs were lower than those for crops and because animals commanded higher prices. There was also less risk with livestock than with crops (FAO, RLAC, 1988).

Energy

Some ruminant species serve as a renewable source of energy. Oxen are used to pull farm equipment, wagons and carts in some areas. Even goats are used to pull water carts in Central American countries. Various world forums have stated that food production increases should be 1% above the population growth rate and mechanization is generally considered the required way for achieving this. However, the cost of tractorization and the required fuel is beyond the means of many farmers. Moreover, mechanization, as mentioned later, has been identified as a major cause of desertification in some areas.

Manure can also be converted into biogas without loss of fertilizer value. Fuel produced by anaerobic digestion can be used for mechanical and electrical energy and for heat and light.

Fuel

Although the use of dried manure for fuel is not common in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is in other developing regions such as Africa and the Near East.

Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers improve both soil condition and nutrient content. Animal manure is a very good and inexpensive fertilizer — and the amount produced is important. A cow, for example, excretes 5.5 kg of dry matter per day. Most of this and manure from other kinds of stock falls on the grazing lands. With intensive production systems, however, large quantities can be collected and spread on croplands. There are also industries that collect, process and bag manure for sale to urban dwellers for lawn, flower and other plant fertilization.

Inedible Byproducts

There are many uses of the inedible byproducts such as pharmaceuticals, glue, soap, candles, bone jewelry, mineral supplements, animal feed and many others.