The ‘Clean, Green and Ethical’ Concept in Animal Production

Abstract

In response to changes in society and thus the marketplace, animal industries need to become ‘clean, green and ethical’ (CGE). To be ‘clean’, the industries need to minimise the use of drugs, chemicals and exogenous hormones. To be ‘green’, the industries need to minimise their impact on the environment. To be ‘ethical’, the industries need to avoid practices that compromise animal welfare. Importantly, CGE practices must apply to all participants in the supply chain, from producer to consumer. This paper presents our approach for CGE management of small ruminants on farms in Australia, a context that is directly relevant to the Uruguayan sheep industry because there are so many common aspects in livestock management in the two countries. The major topics are: 1) control of the timing of reproductive events by using socio-sexual signals (the ‘male effect’); 2) ‘focus feeding’ – short periods of nutritional supplementation that are precisely designed for each event in the reproductive process; 3) ‘nutritional pharmacology’ – the possibility of using forages containing ‘bioactive’ compounds to improve health, efficiency and environmental impact; 4) maximizing offspring survival by a combination of management and nutrition; 5) genetic selection to improve reproductive efficiency and animal heath. These tools involve novel ways of manipulating the endogenous control systems of the animals and many of them can be applied to cattle production systems. Ultimately, CGE management can be cost-effective, increase productivity and, at the same time, greatly improve the image of meat and milk industries in society and the marketplace.