A simplistic ‘all livestock are bad’ narrative is promoted by campaigners, celebrities, philanthropists and policymakers alike. A much more sophisticated debate is needed.
A herd of cows returning from a drinking hole in Amboseli, Kenya.
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Cow burps and farts are no joke – they’re a big factor in climate change. A new study shows that daily seaweed supplements could tame this major methane source while saving ranchers money.
Dinka cattle.
Photo by Bruno Bierrenbach Feder/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria have been bloody and protracted, with one side portrayed as victims. But as this study shows, both sides are victims.
Stray cows rest on a New Delhi street during a one-day civil curfew to combat coronavirus. Cattle may have been central to a coronavirus outbreak in 1890.
Yawar Nazir/Getty Images
Could the 1889-1890 pandemic have been the result of cow coronaviruses jumping to humans?
Sonoma County, California hired this herd of sheep from Sweetgrass Grazing to reduce invasive plants and flammable fuels and make room for native plants on protected land.
Sonoma Open Space
A new generation of ranchers is exploring sustainable ways to raise cattle, sheep and goats in California. Some are grazing herds on fire-prone lands, reducing wildfire risks and improving soils.
Technological tools could unlock a new system of resource sharing in agriculture which is ethical and productive.
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Since the feudal ages, fences have become a symbol of separation and ownership. Now, sensors and technology allow for a system of pooling resources which is not only sustainable but also productive.
Bison once dominated the Great Plains but were nearly wiped out by hunters in the 1800s. Now scientists are learning that bison’s presence improves plant and wildlife diversity on the prairies.
The unpopular badger cull has had only ‘modest’ success in reducing bovine TB, according to a recent report. What would an alternative approach that was effective and humane look like?
An Australian steer named Knickers broke the internet this week. The heavyweight Holstein-Friesian weighs as much as a small car, but genetically speaking he’s within the normal range (just).
A Masai herdsman walks with his cattle in Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
(Shutterstock)
Lung plague attacks cattle causing disease and death, and more than US$60 million in losses annually in Africa. A new vaccine could prevent the disease.
Cattle that are grass-fed, antibiotic- and growth hormone-free gather at a farm in Oregon in 2015. There’s a debate over whether antibiotic use in livestock makes germs more resistant to the drugs, and results in infections being passed on to humans who consume the meat.
(AP Photo/Don Ryan)
The use of antibiotics in raising livestock is complex. We could be moving towards a less-than-ideal result due to poor understanding, over-simplistic messaging and a rush for competitive advantage.
Support is growing for a ban on live export, but what will replace it?
RICHARD MILNES/AAP
In the face of shocking footage of animals dying on ships, it seems impossible that our live export trade will remain as it is. Here are three areas to address.
A sheep undergoing live export in 2017.
Animals Australia