Varying Perceptions

Question 1

What are the challenges of keeping livestock?

Answer 1

• Keeping animals healthy requires a societal response
• Most of the animals we keep are used in food and fibre production
• Understanding food and agricultural systems, how they work and who works in them is critical for the health and welfare of animals

Question 2

What are the three different types of livestock food systems?

Answer 2

• Scavenge or grazing based system
• Small scale intensive system
• Large scale intensive system

Question 3

What are the three main points about scavenge-based systems?

Answer 3

• Few people are involved in the activity
• Contribution to income and nutrition is variable
• Potentially few people are impacted

Question 4

What are the three main points about small-scale intensive systems?

Answer 4

• More people are involved
• Contribution to income and nutrition can be substantial
• many people can be impacted, producers, service providers, and consumers

Question 5

What are the key points surrounding large-scale intensive systems?

Answer 5

• Many people are involved and it is spread over a large geographical area
• Contribution to income is substantial
• Many people are impacted, traders, processors, consumers

Question 6

What species is the major livestock species in terms of biomass?

Answer 6

Cattle

Question 7

What species has the most rapid growth in livestock populations?

Answer 7

Poultry and pigs

Question 8

How much has milk production risen?

Answer 8

Milk production is estimated to have been 540
million tonnes in 1995 and to have risen to 723
million tonnes in 2010.

Question 9

How much has meat production risen?

Answer 9

Meat production rose from 205,000 tonnes in
1995 to 295,000 tonnes in 2010.

Question 10

How much has egg production risen?

Answer 10

Egg production rose from 46 to 69 million tonnes per year
between 1995 and 2010.

Question 11

What percentage of households in the developing world earn an income from livestock?

Answer 11

Around 68%

Question 12

Why was Foot and Mouth Disease increased in 2001?

Answer 12

• Policies at national and European level had led to fewer
  slaughterhouses across the country.
• Subsidy payments per sheep had increased the sheep
  population.
• Movement of sheep had never been greater.
• This was concentrated in the early months of the year.
• The animal health system was unfamiliar with FMD.