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Livestock and Fellow Creatures! Animal Welfare, Sustainability and the Ethics of Nutrition from a Protestant Perspective

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Livestock and Fellow Creatures! Animal Welfare, Sustainability and the Ethics of Nutrition from a Protestant Perspective EKD-Texte 133 Livestock and Fellow Creatures! Animal Welfare, Sustainability and the Ethics of Nutrition from a Protestant Perspective english Livestock and Fellow Creatures! Animal Welfare, Sustainability and the Ethics of Nutrition from a Protestant Perspective A Discussion Paper authored by the Advisory Commission of the EKD on Sustainable Development Bibliographische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliographie; detaillierte bibliographische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.dnb.de abrufbar. Published by Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) Herrenhäuser Straße 12 | D - 30419 Hannover www.ekd.de September 2019 Download: www.ekd.de/en/Texts-802.htm Cover picture: © minka2507/www.pixabay.com Translation: Astrid Quick Layout: stm | media GmbH Printed climate neutral on 100 % recycling paper. Contents Preliminary Remarks 7 1. Regarding the Relationship between Mankind and Animals – Biblical- Theological Perspectives 11 1.1 “Humans have no advantage over the animals” (Eccl 3:19 NRSV*) – Finding Traces of an Ethics of Respect for our Fellow Creatures in Bib- lical Tradition 11 1.2 “ . but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor … your animals” (Ex 20 : 10; NIV) – Animals’ Share in God’s Salvific Covenant Ordinances within the Context of Pre-Industrial Agriculture 18 1.3 “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you” (Gen 9 : 3) – The Reasoning behind, and the Limitations regarding, the Consumption of Meat within the Dietary Laws of the Old Testament 20 1.4 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.” (1 Cor 6 : 12) – The Liberty and Obligations of Faith regarding Matters of Nutrition and a Critical-Transformative Lifestyle 25 1.5 “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid” (Is 11 : 6a) – The Promise of an Eschatological Kingdom of Peace Entails Hope for an Alleviation of Violence within Human-Animal Re- lationships 28 2. On the Relationship between Mankind and Animals within the Context of Agricultural Production in Germany 31 2.1 Animals on the Farm – The Combination of Care and Function in Hu- man-Animal Relationships within the Context of Smallholders’ Do- mestic and Subsistence Farming 31 2.2 From Farms to Agricultural Factories – The Effects of the Industrialisa- tion of Livestock Farming on Human-Animal Relationships 32 * Note of the translator AQ: Unless specified otherwise, all Bible quotations are taken from the NRSV. Livestock and Fellow Creatures! | Animal Welfare, Sustainability and the Ethics of Nutrition 2.3 An Appetite for Meat – I Take Meat for my Greens: Exponential Increase in Meat Consumption in Germany and its Underlying Causes 36 2.4 Where Does Our Meat Come From Today? – Facts, Figures and Trends regarding Rationalised and Computerised Animal Husbandry in the German and European Meat Trade Respectively 39 2.5 From the Animal as our Fellow Creature to the Animal as a Meat Prod- uct – The Increase of Yield and Efficiency at any Cost; as well as the Consequences 44 2.6 This Sausage was Once an Animal – Beginnings of a New Discourse regarding Animal Welfare 48 2.7 A Vegetarian Diet as a Lifestyle: Differentiation of Nutritional Styles and the Increase of Consumer Awareness within Germany 55 2.8 Summary: Animal Welfare – Human Welfare – the Welfare of Creation; the Conflict of Objectives as well as the Dilemmas Which Surround Animal Welfare across the Globe 59 3. Regarding Human-Animal Relationships from a Global Perspective – The Correlation between World Food Security, Meat Consumption and Sustainability, within the Context of Planetary Boundaries 62 3.1 Holy Cows and Edible Snakes – Diverse Traditions amongst Human- Animal Relationships 62 3.2 Overnutrition – Undernutrition – Malnutrition: Discrepancies in the Average Meat Consumption between the North and the South 67 3.3 Do you Intend to ban Meat Consumption? – The Exponential Increase in Global Meat Consumption as an Unbridled Continuation of the Model of Catch-up Development 69 3.4 We Would Need at Least Three Planets – The Global Environmental Impact of Industrialised Livestock Farming 72 3.5 In Other Countries, the Animals Suffer Even More!? – The Lack of Synchronisation and the Need for Greater Regulation with Regard to Standards and Legal Frameworks for Animal Welfare and the Quality of Nutrition 78 3.6 Global Nutrition Transition: Decoupling Meat Consumption from Af- fluence? – The Issue of Meat Consumption as a Key for World Health and the Ecological Carrying Capacity of the Earth 84 3.7 Summary: Animal Welfare – Human Welfare – The Welfare of Creation: The Conflict of Objectives and the Dilemmas Surrounding Animal Welfare in a Global Context 86 4 Contents 4. Responsible Human-Animal Ethics in Diverse Fields of Action: The Re- flective Contribution of the Churches towards a Paradigm Change 89 4.1 The Discussion of Meat Consumption and Animal Ethics is not Super- fluous in the Western World – Aspects of Global Animal Ethics within an Ecological and Development-Oriented Context 89 4.2 Less Meat – More Health: Aspects Pertaining to Consumer Ethics for Responsible Human-Animal Relationships 91 4.3 Thou Shalt not Kill, but Prevent Suffering – Aspects regarding Veteri- nary Medical and Breeding Ethics 98 4.4 Top Quality Meat Instead of Discount Meat? – Aspects of Market or Business Ethics within the Area of Meat Production 102 4.5 A Different Way of Living, a Different Way of Shopping – Local Church- es, Procurement and the Churches’ Lease of Land: The Church as a Trendsetter or an Obstacle for a Nutrition Transition? 104 4.6 Summary: Priorities for the Intensification of the Dialogue between the Church and Society about Animal and Food Ethics in Germany and Worldwide 106 5. Places of Learning for New Human-Animal Relationships within Church and Society – Practical Examples for an Intensified Learning Strategy relating to Ecumenical Animal Ethics 109 5.1 Animal Ethics in the Liturgical Year 109 5.2 Animal Ethics in Educational Activities 111 5.3 Farms as Learning Places for Ecological and Animal Ethics 112 5.4 Animal Ethics within the Churches’ Events and Establishments 113 5.5 Animal Ethics in Vocational Training within the Agricultural Sector 115 5.6 Ethical Dialogue across Diverse Social Milieus Involving Diverse Pro- fessional Groups within Society 116 5.7 Networks between the Church, Agriculture and the Environment 119 5.8 Ecumenical Links with International Networks within the Field of Sus- tainable Development and Animal Ethics 120 6. Key Theological Points and Political Demands regarding Sustainable Livestock Ethics 124 6.1 Key Theological Points regarding Sustainable Livestock Ethics from the Churches’ Perspective 124 6.2 Key Political Demands regarding Sustainable Livestock Ethics from the Churches’ Perspective 127 5 Livestock and Fellow Creatures! | Animal Welfare, Sustainability and the Ethics of Nutrition 6.3 Conclusion 133 Appendix 135 List of Abbreviations 136 List of Boxes 139 Bibliography 141 Members of the Advisory Commission of the EKD on Sustainable Develop- ment 148 6 Preliminary Remarks Questions of animal welfare and animal ethics are among some of the most dis- cussed, controversial issues of our society. Images of animals suffering pain through intensive farming or killed en masse (for instance in the procedure of the so-called ‘chick-grinding machines’) give rise to strong emotions, making factual discussions rather more difficult. In all cases, it is quite clear that it is not only farmers and agricul- tural policies that are responsible for animal welfare; consumers of animal products also carry responsibility. For the churches too, issues of animal welfare and animal ethics are highly relevant, since they address fundamental questions regarding human-animal relationships, which are, from a Christian ethical perspective, relationships between fellow crea- tures. Humans and animals are God’s creation; they both carry the same God-given breath of life (Ps 104 : 10 – 18). Humans and animals are both subject to God’s promises of blessing and protection (Gen 9 : 16). The biblical visions of peace for a new world explicitly include animals (Is 65 : 17 ff.). With good reason, this biblical perspective of the close bond between mankind and animal was emphatically underlined by both creation theology and the conciliar process of commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation in the 1980s. Although animal welfare and animal ethics have such a great relevance within society, the churches have not expressed an opinion on these topics for a very long time. The last official statement by the EKD, entitled “Zur Verantwortung des Menschen üf r das Tier als Mitgeschöpf” (on the responsibility of mankind for animals as fellow crea- tures), was published in 1991. Additionally, in theological ethics and within the discus- sions of the ecumenical world of the last 20 years, issues of animal ethics have barely been addressed. Therefore, it is high time for the Protestant Church in Germany to fill this vacancy and provide further impetus for such a discussion within the churches and within society; in Germany as well as in the ecumenical world. One idea which is also important for the Protestant churches, was included within Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si” in 2015, in which he denounced the disastrous anthropocentrism of present times, and expressly highlighted the intrinsic value of animals. 7 Livestock and Fellow Creatures! | Animal Welfare, Sustainability and the Ethics of Nutrition The study at hand is in a position to add even more, since it argues from a multitude of perspectives, including such an ethical and theological perspective. Behind the many topical examples of challenges within livestock husbandry lie complex correlations and connections, as well as the challenge of dealing with fundamental ethical ques- tions which surround the agrarian economy, animal ethics, veterinary medicine, eco- nomic efficiency and food culture.
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