Animals, Environment and Sustainable Development in 21st Century Africa: An Interlinked Approach Introduction In Africa, animals are deeply embedded in the lives and livelihoods of the communities that live and interact with them. That animals are an essential livelihood support in Africa cannot be overemphasized, though there appears a dearth of published information on how the welfare of these animals and communities are connected. Interest in animal welfare as a concept is rapidly increasing in Africa, and the time has come to define animal welfare in terms of development. It is well known that Africa is currently enjoying a period of immense growth across various sectors, notably infrastructure, energy and agriculture (food security). These massive changes and investments offer a perfect opportunity to entrench the place of animals and consequently their welfare along the continent’s development spectrum. It is recognized that rapid development in Africa, especially regarding infrastructure, has implications for the environment and animals. There is a need to understand how animal welfare relates to development, considering the implications these megatrends may have on the environment, people and animals. In order to further this understanding, the Africa Animal Welfare Conference was held between 2 nd and 4 th September 2019 at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Delegates discussed the direct and indirect role of animals in contributing towards supporting the aspirations of the Africa Union Agenda 2063 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. The theme of this conference was “Animals, Environment and Sustainable Development in 21st Century Africa: An Interlinked Approach”. Within this broad framework, the presentations and discussions at the conference were organized around eight sub-themes, which were as follows: The linkages between animal welfare and the SDGs the threats of the donkey-skin trade to animal welfare across Africa; the implications of climate change, technology, research and training on the achievement of SDGs; the threat posed by wildlife poaching and the bushmeat trade; the initiatives and opportunities presented by regional/inter-governmental organizations; the attainment of good health and wellbeing through improved animal and public health systems; the role of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the place of civil society in the UN; and strategies for improving the governance and funding of civil society organizations for greater impact. Animal Welfare & SDGS In the presentations it emerged that animal welfare impacts all seventeen SDGs at different levels. These linkages between animal welfare and SDGs are such that whereas few of SDGs explicitly reference animals, ecosystems, or the natural world, many benefit from animal welfare and wildlife conservation. As such, the consideration of animals and their welfare is a valuable instrument to improve the long-term success, sustainability and attainment of the SDGs and improve the lives of people and animals in a holistic manner. Policy recommendations In recognition of these linkages and the potential for animal welfare to contribute to the attainment of SDGs, it was recommended: • Undertake a continuous monitoring of evidence of contribution of good animal welfare, collation of this evidence into a compelling scientific rationale, and then packaging the message into narratives that can easily be taken up and utilized for decision making throughout the value chain of human–animal interactions. Issue No 2: AAWC/2019 AFRICA ANIMAL WELFARE CONFERENCE Policy Brief
Transcript
Animals, Environment and Sustainable Development in 21st Century Africa: An Interlinked Approach
Introduction
In Africa, animals are deeply embedded in thelivesand livelihoodsof thecommunities that liveand interact with them. That animals are anessential livelihood support in Africa cannot beoveremphasized,thoughthereappearsadearthofpublished information on how the welfare oftheseanimalsandcommunitiesareconnected.
Interest inanimalwelfareasa concept is rapidlyincreasing in Africa, and the time has come todefineanimalwelfareintermsofdevelopment.Itiswell known that Africa is currently enjoying aperiodofimmensegrowthacrossvarioussectors,notably infrastructure, energy and agriculture(food security). These massive changes andinvestments offer a perfect opportunity toentrench the place of animals and consequentlytheir welfare along the continent’s developmentspectrum.Itisrecognizedthatrapiddevelopmentin Africa, especially regarding infrastructure, hasimplicationsfortheenvironmentandanimals.
Thereisaneedtounderstandhowanimalwelfarerelates to development, considering theimplications these megatrends may have on theenvironment, people and animals. In order tofurther this understanding, the Africa AnimalWelfareConferencewasheldbetween2ndand4thSeptember 2019 at theUnitedNationsEconomicCommission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa,Ethiopia. Delegates discussed the direct andindirect role of animals in contributing towardssupporting the aspirations of the Africa UnionAgenda 2063 and the achievement of theSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)inAfrica.
The theme of this conference was “Animals,Environment and Sustainable Development in21st Century Africa: An Interlinked Approach”.Within this broad framework, the presentationsanddiscussionsattheconferencewereorganizedaroundeight sub-themes,whichwereas follows:
The linkages between animal welfare and theSDGs the threats of the donkey-skin trade toanimal welfare across Africa; the implications ofclimatechange,technology,researchandtrainingon theachievementof SDGs; the threatposedbywildlife poaching and the bushmeat trade; theinitiatives and opportunities presented byregional/inter-governmental organizations; theattainmentofgoodhealthandwellbeing throughimproved animal and public health systems; theroleoftheUNEnvironmentProgram(UNEP)andtheplaceofcivilsocietyintheUN;andstrategiesforimprovingthegovernanceandfundingofcivilsocietyorganizationsforgreaterimpact.
AnimalWelfare&SDGS
In the presentations it emerged that animalwelfare impacts all seventeen SDGs at differentlevels.TheselinkagesbetweenanimalwelfareandSDGsaresuchthatwhereasfewofSDGsexplicitlyreference animals, ecosystems, or the naturalworld, many benefit from animal welfare andwildlife conservation. As such, the considerationof animals and their welfare is a valuableinstrument to improve the long-term success,sustainability and attainment of the SDGs andimprove the lives of people and animals in aholisticmanner.
• Undertake a continuous monitoring ofevidence of contribution of good animalwelfare, collation of this evidence into acompelling scientific rationale, and thenpackagingthemessageintonarrativesthatcan easily be taken up and utilized fordecisionmakingthroughoutthevaluechainofhuman–animalinteractions.
IssueNo2:AAWC/2019
AFRICAANIMALWELFARECONFERENCE
PolicyBrief
• Build a bottom-up country-ledimplementationofanimalwellbeingwithindevelopmentprojects.
DonkeySlaughterandSkinTrade
There is strong evidence that shows that thesocio-economic value of donkeys far outweighsthevalueandreturnsfromthedonkeyskintrade.Further to this, the entire trade and slaughter ofdonkeys has been demonstrated to pose seriousanimal welfare concerns especially in handling,transportation and the slaughter process. Themovement of donkeys across boarders and poorhandling of waste is a factor in diseasetransmission including zoonotic diseases fromanimal to humans hence impacting both humanandenvironmentalhealth.Keyexamplesincludeddonkeyslaughterandcarcassesofdonkeyinbush,aborteddonkey fetus andpoorwastedisposal attheslaughterhouse.
Despitethis,somegovernmentshavelegalizedtheslaughterofdonkeysandtheexportoftheirskins(and meat) to meet demand in China. Thelegalization of donkey slaughter by somecountries poses an immediate threat to donkeypopulationsgiventhattherateofslaughterbyfarexceeds the natural reproduction rate. Thelicensingofdonkeyabattoirs coupledwith illegalslaughterhasalsoresultedinanincreaseintheftof donkeys from families that most need them,thereby pushing these families deeper intopoverty.
Space-based technology offers a chance toimprove animal welfare across the continent.There isalsoanopportunity tominimize theuseofanimalsineducationalprogramswhichexposesthousands of animals to harmful practices.Training on animal welfare across severaldisciplines, especially in agricultural and animal
courses, can also help raise awareness whileestablishinganewbreedofprofessionalswhoaremoreconsciousofanimalwelfare.
The global climate emergency, exacerbated byhuman activities, is observed to increase thesuffering of animals, at the cost of humandevelopment and environmental protection.There is also an acknowledged relationshipbetween industrial agriculture and deforestationandbiodiversityloss.
• All stakeholders at international,government, private, community andindividual levels strive to find effectivemeans and innovations to prevent andadapt to climate change, so as tomitigateagainst or reduce untold suffering onanimals, people and their environment inAfrica.
• Reform education policy to incorporateanimal welfare as a cross-cutting issue inthe development of a humane society andenvironmentalprotection,
• Incorporation of forestry in all discussionsand interventions on wildlife conservationandanimalwelfare.
• Adoptwaysofreducingsufferingofanimalswhicharesubjectedtoinhumaneconditionsand circumstances used in development oftechnology, research, knowledgeadvancements and industrialization inAfrica.
EngagementwithUNEnvironment
There was initial cynicism over the place ofanimal welfare within the United NationsEnvironment Program but this has since beenovershadowed by rising recognition of thesignificanceofanimalwelfaretotheagendaoftheUN. As such, the UN Environment Program andthe bi-annual UN Environment Assembly nowprovide an ideal platform for the civil society togettheattentionofUNMemberStatestoaddressanimalwelfare issues.Whereasanumberof civilsociety organizations are already engaging withUNEA, ithasbeennoted thatquiteanumberareonlyactive in theperiodof theAssemblyas theydo not take part in setting the agenda for theassembly, nor in follow up to ensure resolutions
passed at the assembly are implemented in theircountries.
• significance of the welfare of animals toenvironmental protection, social justice andsustainabledevelopmentofsociety.
Bushmeat&Anti-Poaching
IllegalhuntingofwildlifeforbushmeatisprevalentinmanycountriesacrossAfrica.Mostofthehuntingmethodsusedarecruel, inhumaneanddestructive.The demand for illegal bushmeat spreads acrossboundariesofcountriesandevencontinentsandisdriven by similar factors to other types oftransboundary crimes. Bush meat was linked tocompromising the achievement of SDGs especiallyone,eightandseventeen.
The most common types of destruction frombushmeat hunting is extinction of species,destruction of invaluable ecosystems andlivelihoods - increases poverty - and risk to publichealth.
Policyrecommendations
Toaddresstheseconcerns,itwasrecommendedto:
• Support the enforcement mechanisms forCITES, Convention on the Conservation onMigratory Species (CMS) and RamsarConvention.
• Encourage an inclusive multi-sectorialapproach in addressing illegal huntingincludinglocalcommunities.
• Undertake comprehensive research onpoachingandtheillegalbushmeattrade.
EngagementwithOIE,AU-IBAR
African intergovernmental organizations such asOIE,AUandIGADareattheforefrontinpushingforanimal welfare on the continent. For instance, theAfrica Union Inter-African Bureau for AnimalResources (AU-IBAR) spearheaded efforts to
2
develop theAnimalWelfare Strategy forAfricaas a way of consolidating synergy towardsbetter Animal Welfare in Africa. Governmentsand Civil society in Africa are currently atvarious stages of domesticating theimplementationof theAnimalWelfareStrategyfor Africa, coordinated through the AfricaPlatform for AnimalWelfare (APAW). There isroom to speed up and enhance the impact oftheirwork.
Policyrecommendations
In order to tap into the potential presented bytheseorganizations,itwasrecommendedthat:
Factory farming poses numerous animalwelfare, environmental and health challenges.Routine practices include extreme crowding,mutilations and production pressures thatthreaten animals’ health and welfare. Farmsfacing disease outbreaks across the continentare using ineffective and cruelmethods to cullaffected or infected animals. There is needs tobe strong measures to deal with our brokenfood and farming system, including aninternational policy agreement, standards andlegislation.
Policyrecommendations
Inlightofthesechallenges,itwasrecommendedto:
• Lobby governments for the enactmentand enforcement of animal welfarestandards and the adoption ofinternational polices and standards onfactoryfarming.
• Work towards a global agreement onregenerative agriculture, which is aconservationandrehabilitationapproachtofoodandfarmingsystems.
Disclaimer This publication is an output of The Africa Animal Welfare Conference. The views expressed in this policy do not necessarily reflect the official position of the organizers or sponsors
