Cattle Raising (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what livestock farming is, its characteristics, environmental impact and types. Furthermore, livestock farming in Mexico and Colombia.

What is livestock?

Livestock farming is one of the oldest economic activities of humanity. It consists of the management and breeding of animals, for the purpose of exploiting their meat and products (milk, eggs, hides, etc.). These are usually domesticated animals.

This category includes the raising of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry, as well as beekeeping, rabbit farming and fish farming, even if it is not livestock.

Livestock farming appeared in human existence along with agriculture, with which it is closely related, to the point that crop farms are usually also breeding places.

The transition from hunting, fishing and gathering to livestock and agriculture It is a fundamental milestone in the emergence of a sedentary civilization something key for the appearance of cities and the social contract. This occurred sometime in the Neolithic (about 10,000 years ago) and was a fundamental revolution in human history.

Livestock farming required a more or less long process of domestication, during which the animals became accustomed to human presence and to trust in the food that it provided them, instead of obtaining it through wild means. Nowadays, these animals are dependent on humans, and they cohabit with us in establishments designated for this.

Livestock characteristics

livestock dairy products — Livestock farming uses products derived from animals, such as dairy products.

The livestock sector Its ultimate purpose is the production of goods of animal origin. They may be intended for human food consumption (meat, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.) or as raw material for industries and artisans (skins, wool, hooves, etc.).

Importance of livestock

Livestock farming was an extremely important activity in the development of humanity and continues to occupy a prominent place among the primary activities of the world economy.

Provides food products that are part of the daily diet of people, such as different types of meat and other derived products (dairy, for example). The world's population can grow in part thanks to the expansion of the livestock industry, which in turn has an impact on other areas of existence.

Intensive livestock farming and extensive livestock farming

intensive pig farming overcrowding — In intensive livestock farming, animals often suffer from overcrowding.

In principle, we can differentiate two types of livestock:

Extensive This is traditional, open-air livestock farming, which takes advantage of environmental resources, through livestock grazing. This means that the investment of resources by the rancher is lower, but at the same time large areas of land are required.
Intensive This is livestock farming in small spaces, such as pens, stables and establishments in which the animals usually live, although not always in the best living conditions: without the possibility of moving at will, they are often overcrowded and infected with diseases, which which requires the frequent and massive supply of antibiotics. It is the industrial response to the enormous demand for meat products, since they produce constantly, continuously and quickly, even though it is much lower quality food.

Environmental impact of livestock farming

The environment is, in one way or another, always affected by the livestock industry, in the following ways:

Deforestation and loss of biodiversity Since livestock farming requires spaces for grazing, it is common for forests to be cut down to take advantage of the space, and in these cases it contributes to the felling and destruction of ecosystems. Additionally, grazing livestock can eat the shoots of young trees and delay reforestation, destroying the natural habitat of thousands of species.
Greenhouse gas production Although it may sound implausible, the huge herds of grazing cattle that ranchers manage produce enormous amounts of methane in the form of intestinal gases. This organic gas accumulates in the atmosphere, where it contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Reduced effectiveness of antibiotics Intensive livestock farming is forced, given the poor living conditions of its breeding, to the constant and massive supply of antibiotics to avoid infections and contagious diseases, which over time leads to the generation of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, capable of later produce pandemics in the human population.

Livestock in Mexico

poultry farming mexico — In Mexico, poultry is produced for its meat, eggs and feathers.

In rural Mexico, livestock farming is a lucrative and diverse activity, which ranges from traditional grazing methods carried out in many cases by indigenous communities, to massive and industrialized procedures typical of a modern productive sector.

This activity was introduced by the European conquerors in Mesoamerican Mexico, and consisted of the breeding of turkey, the grana cochineal and other local species, such as the xoloitzcuintle. On the other hand, today the sector focuses on cattle and poultry thus making Mexico the seventh largest exporter of animal protein in the world.

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Livestock in Colombia

Taking advantage of the climate and soil diversity of the region, livestock farming in Colombia has always been a traditional activity. More than 500,000 families work in this activity spread throughout the country.

Livestock farming brings greater income to Colombia than other activities that are also highly valued abroad, such as the cultivation of coffee and flowers. It is estimated that the Colombian herd consists of 26 million animals, the fifth largest in all of America which makes it the eleventh producer of milk in the world and the twelfth of meat.

References

“Livestock” on Wikipedia.
“Livestock” in Agrarian Bulletin.
“Livestock sector” in Economipedia.
“Livestock and the environment” in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
“Animal breeding” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.