Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T19:44:51.019Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sustainability in animal production systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

C. R. W. Spedding
C. R. W. Spedding
Affiliation:
Centre for Agricultural Strategy, University of Reading, Reading RG6 2AT
Get access

Abstract

‘Sustainability” has been defined in so many different ways that it no longer has an accepted (or acceptable) meaning. Nevertheless, it is being used as a label to confer respectability on corporate plans and research proposals, practical projects, attitudes and intellectual positions. The weaknesses of current definitions are examined with a view to clarifying the physical, biological and socio-economic objectives, covered by the term ‘sustainable’.

Since it is no longer feasible to abandon the term or to restrict its scope, it is worth considering what useful meaning can be attached to the concept. An attempt is made to spell out the tvays in which it could sensibly be used in relation to animal production systems. It is suggested that this would have to take the form of a package of expressions covering the essential attributes offuture animal production systems.

Keywords

animal productionsustainabilitysystems
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 61 , Issue 1 , August 1995 , pp. 1 - 8
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brundtland, G. H. 1987. Our common future. World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Bunting, A. H. 1992. Feeding the world in the future. In Fream's principles of food and agriculture (ed. Spedding, C. R. W.), pp. 256–290. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.Google Scholar
Conway, G. R. and Barbier, E. G. 1990. After the green revolution. Earthscan Publications, London.Google Scholar
Council of Science and Technology Institutes. 1992. The greenhouse effect: fact or fiction. CST1 environmental information paper 1. Council of Science and Technology Institutes, London.Google Scholar
Farm Animal Welfare Council. 1984. Report on the welfare of livestock (red meat animals) at the time of slaughter. Reference book 268. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Farm Animal Welfare Council. 1986. Report on the welfare of livestock at markets. Reference book 265. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Farm Animal Welfare Council. 1991. Report on the European Commission proposals on the transport of animals. FAWC, Surbiton.Google Scholar
Holdgate, M. W. 1993. The biological basis for sustainable development. Institute of Biology Charter Lecture, 28 October 1993.Google Scholar
Lampkin, N. 1990. Organicfarming. Farming Press, Ipswich.Google Scholar
Matthews, R. 1994. The rise and rise of global warming. New Scientist, 26 11 1994, p. 6.Google Scholar
Natural Resources Policy Group. 1991. Conservation objectives. Report prepared for the Council of the Institute of Biology by the Natural Resources Policy Group.Google Scholar
Spedding, C. R. W. 1975. The biology of agricultural systems. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Spedding, C. R. W. 1988. An introduction to agricultural systems. 2nd ed. Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spedding, C. R. W. 1993. What is sustainability? In Europe. GATT, sustainability and the future of farming, proceedings of Royal Agricultural Society of England national agricultural conference, 11 March 1993.Google Scholar
Spedding, C. R. W. 1994a. Energy and environment in bioproduction systems. In M1E international forum and symposium on global environment and friendly energy technology, Tsu-City, Japan, March 1994.Google Scholar
Spedding, C. R. W. 1994b. Farming systems research extension in the Europea n context. In Rural and farming systems analysis (ed. Dent, J. B. and McGregor, M. J.), pp. 46–52. CAB international, Wallingford.Google Scholar