In 2009 the results of the Word Bank global study of Livestock markets, Slaughter houses and related waste management systems were presented. A monumental study that clearly explains the difficulties Africa and Asia are facing, regarding their meat production.
During the presentation of the report, the project manager Sandra Cointreau explained that the main course of dead (60%) of children under 12 in developing countries is food safety related. This changed my view on welfare, disease control and food safety completely.
Waste management, food safety and animal welfare are tightly connected to each other and cannot be optimized without a total improvement of all related issues. Compared to food production in development countries, there is obviously a long way to go. We started in the beginning of the 20th century with what we expect developing countries have to improve in one or two decades:
1. Improvements of the physical slaughter infrastructure processes
2. Improvement of food safety within the food production infrastructure
3. Improvement of the Governmental control infrastructure
4. Improvement of the Veterinary service infrastructure
5. Improvement of the Human Health infrastructure
6. Improvement on Occupational Health & Safety, child labor and human rights
The list is much longer, but the conclusion is that you can only start to improve issues like animal welfare, food safety and waste management after generally improving the living conditions of the people in developing countries.
This report was the final work of Sandra before she retired and out of respect for all the work she did, I would encourage you all to share the information with me.
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Why is it so difficult to improve animal welfare in developing countries?
1. Animal Welfare Findings from:
Global Reconnaissance of Municipal Live Markets,
Slaughterhouses and Waste Systems
in Developing Countries
World Bank Study (Japanese Trust Funded)
Conducted in: EAP, SAR, AFR, LAC and MENA
Study by Consultants:
Nippon Koei Co
ProAnd Associates Australia
World Bank Study Manager:
Sandra Cointreau
2. The World Bank Group:
• IDA and IBRD lending to countries, IFC lending to
companies, and IMF monetary support.
• Over 10,000 staff, over 100 regional offices.
• Lending portfolio over 30 BB $/yr.
• IFC animal welfare note.
• Bank-wide environmental health safeguards
guidelines include animal welfare.
• While animal welfare is included for impact
minimization and mitigation, animal welfare is yet not
targeted for project investment.
3. • The world’s human population is densifying. As of this year,
there are more people in cities than in rural areas.
• Livestock populations are also densifying…into intensive
industrialized facilities.
• In developing countries, intensive livestock producers are
locating near cities for the access to markets and
infrastructure.
• Municipalities are being increasingly burdened by the need
to provide livestock processing infrastructure to meet the
growing local demand for meat.
• Most of developing country production is for local demand,
and affordability limits the revenue base for livestock
processing.
CURRENT CONTEXT:
4. Growth in Human and Animal Populations,
and available GNP income base:
2000 -> 2030
• High Income Countries ($34,500/cap/yr)
– People 1.2 BB -> 1.3 BB
– Cattle, Pigs, Sheep, Goats 4.0 BB -> 5.2 BB
– Poultry 15.0 BB -> 24.8 BB
• Low and Middle Income ($583 and $2,833/cap/yr)
– People 4.9 BB -> 7.1 BB
– Cattle, Pigs, Sheep, Goats 3.0 BB -> 4.2 BB
– Poultry 11.0 BB -> 19.2 BB
5. STUDY OBJECTIVES:
• Gather data on livestock markets, municipal slaughter
facilities (abattoirs), meat processing, and related
systems of waste management.
• Examine the prevalence, handling, treatment,
disposal, and recycling of wastes.
• Identify and report on the problems and needs of the
facilities.
• Collect and examine available data on related bio-
security and food safety issues.
6. • Municipal slaughterhouses are commonly old and operating
significantly over their intended capacity.
• The private sector owns modern and sanitary facilities, but
they operate only for high-end markets.
• The unregulated informal slaughter sector is extensive.
• Local incomes limit meat prices and this limits municipal
cost recovery from slaughterers.
• Regulatory framework and enforcement is poor.
• Religious and cultural traditions have a significant impact on
operations.
• Meat from freshly killed livestock is preferred, requiring
night and early morning slaughtering conditions.
GENERAL FINDINGS (1):
7. • Unsanitary working conditions and limited clean hot water.
• No orderly conveyance.
• Dark and slippery working conditions.
• Surface materials porous and hard to clean.
• Animal welfare is poor.
• Child labor is extensive and exacerbates animal suffering.
• Occupational health and safety is poor.
• Municipal management and capacity is poor.
• Veterinary inspection is inadequate.
• Most fifth quarter is recycled extensively, commonly by
informal sector recyclers.
• Blood, stomach contents and excreta are discharged to
waterways, or sent to municipal open dumps.
GENERAL FINDINGS (2):
8. SUMMARY OF ANIMAL WELFARE FINDINGS:
• All fundamental pillars of good animal welfare
(the five freedoms) were widely abused.
• Absence of any official animal welfare control
mechanism.
• Lack of awareness of animal welfare standards or
measures.
• Lack of awareness of need to improve animal
welfare.
Freedom - Hunger and Thirst
Freedom - Pain, Injury and Disease
Freedom - Physical and Thermal Discomfort
Freedom - Fear and Distress
Freedom - Abnormal Behaviour
9. STUDY OBSERVATIONS IN NEXT SLIDES:
• Transportation
• Live Markets
• Slaughterhouses
• Waste Disposal Sites
14. LIVESTOCK MARKETS (2):
Goats trussed at a market
without shade or water and
amongst debris and
garbage.
Assisting a weak animal to
its feet .
15. LIVESTOCK MARKETS (3):
Sticks used extensively by
herders to keep the animals
under control, for cattle in
particular, resulting in pain,
stress, and bruising.
Livestock trussed all day at
market - poultry often carried
upside down to and from
market.
16. SLAUGHTERHOUSES (1):
• Poor delivery conditions.
• No sheltered place to wait or
be refreshed with water or food.
• No orderly conveyance to slaughter.
• Animals toppled, beaten,
and prodded.
• Pregnant animals accepted
for slaughter.
17. SLAUGHTERHOUSES (2):
• Slippery surfaces.
• Killing and other operations
done on floor.
• Dark operating conditions
inside.
• No separation of clean and
dirty areas.
21. WASTE DISPOSAL:
Discharge of wastes to open
channels and municipal open
dumps affects welfare of
wildlife and domestic animals.
22. Recommendations:
• Regulatory reform.
• Best practice guidelines.
• Stakeholder consultation and awareness.
• Slaughterer and veterinary capacity development.
• Investment in public live markets and slaughterhouses.
• Municipal management capacity development.
• Improve private sector investment climate.
• Interagency program of analytical work.
• Recognize that food safety, animal welfare, livestock disease
control, and food security are public goods.
• Develop inter-governmental economic instruments to support
municipal improvement.
23. Ongoing at Bank:
• Country projects to improve
environmental sustainability at
production facilities, improve live markets,
improve slaughter waste discharges, control HPAI, and reduce
livestock green house gas emissions.
• Developing a guidance document on reconstruction and
refurbishment of live markets and slaughterhouses.
• Supporting the One World One Health concept.
• Developing an alliance for humane and sustainable livestock
production and processing among our agency and NGO
partners.
• Developing a partnership of private sector food retailers,
associations and producers.
24. To obtain information on these
studies, or discuss
partnering, contact:
Sandra Cointreau,
Waste Management Advisor,
Urban Anchor of World Bank
scointreau@worldbank.org
mobile: 1-860-488-5910
http://worldbank.org/solidwaste
A New Humane Humanity for the
New Age.