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ACTUAL ISSUES OF FOOD SECTOR IN

HUNGARY

XXXIInd

ÓVÁR SCIENTIFIC DAY

UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

Prof. Dr. JÁNOS IVÁNCSICS(1938 – 2002)

to the memory of 70 birthday

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

STEWARDSHIP AND STOCKMANSHIP IN SUSTAINABLE

FARM ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Szücs, E., R. Geers, E.N. Sossidou

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Subject matter

• to identify key elements of concept sustainable animal production

• to clarify the terms of stewardship and stockmanship

• to highlight moral basics of sustainability; with

• paying special attention to vision in the future

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Issues related to sustainability

• Present terrifying horror the mankind• Ecological crisis the society has to cope with• Global concern to theology, philosophy,

biosciences, ecology

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Relevance• Sufficient food supply is strategic priority for

mankind• Concept of sustainability includes food supply

for further generations• Choice between crops or animals is related to

ethical, religious, philosophical, cultural and economic issues

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Responsibilities for the created world

• Mankind is parts and parcel of world

• Human beings have obligations in saving, preserve and sustain the nature

• The ecological crisis equals to crisis of nature and not only technocracy (Bolyki, 1999).

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Principles for responsibilities

"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the Earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Genesis 1:28).

„ …. it is man’s responsibility to cultivate, protect the Earth and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Principles for responsibilities

The Islamic religion teaches that Allah has given people power over animals. Therefore to treat animals in a bad manner is to disobey Allah’s will. The World belongs to Allah and people are responsible to Him for their behaviour towards animals.

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Principles for responsibilitiesIn Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism abandonment of animal sacrifice resulted in feeling against unnecessary destruction of life. Followers emphasize two aspects of human-animal relationships: non-injury to living beings (ahisma) and a repeated, cyclical embodiment (reincarnation) of all living beings (samsara).

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Quintessence of sustainability

Sustainable development in animal production includes promoting vital, coherent, rural cultures, and encouraging the values of stewardship, self-reliance, humility and holism which have been most associated with farming (Douglass, 1984).

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Quintessence of sustainability

Approaches of sustainable development in animal production (Bawden, 1997):

1. ethnocentric2. ecocentric3. holocentric4. egocentric

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Includes human beings’ duties / responsibilities how to behave towards nature under economical and ecological pressures

Application skills and competencies in commercial practice through the food production chain with appropriate steps in careful and responsible management

Pilars of sustainability

Stewardship Stockmanship

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

DiscrepanciesConsumer oriented approach of rural development culminate in business. “With the advent of money economy, the most tragic human paradox has been accomplished: virtual wealth can be indefinitely accumulated in the form of money, whereas real wealth in the form of bio-physical, non material richness and earth habitability can be increasingly destroyed” (Wals, et al., 2004).  

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Fundamental starting principles (Webster, 2007)

• Human beings have moral right to rear other sepcies for production of food

• Majority of animals for food are sentient creatures with capacity to experince well-being and suffering

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Conclusions

• The time being there has been a tremendous increase in the consumption of food of animal origin

• To meet the growing requirements for production is projected to double by 2020 (Money and Neville, 2008)

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Conclusions• Future implications towards sustainability in

animal production may have more concern to stewardship paired by stockmanship, responsibility, consciousness and morality

• The moral as basic concept of sustainability is to maintain continuous development in harmony with the nature to meet requirements in the world for living creatures including human beings to live in and steward.

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

ConclusionsIn response to the challenge we have to seek, develop and disseminate a global vision of animal husbandry and health based on scientific facts  for sustainable animal production. Modern intensive animal production is needed that is grounded in scientific facts and committed to finding solutions for the world food crisis. The aim is to develop sustainable animal production systems which preserve the basis of life of future generations.

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Conclusions

The message of this study does not mean endless exploitation of natural resources, on the contrary it equals stewardship supported by stockmanship and responsibility of challenge for our moral obligations considering in one hand of world hunger and the other hand the intemperate prodigality.

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UNIVERSITY OF WEST HUNGARY FACULTY FOR AGRICULTURAL AND

FOOD SCIENCES Mosonmagyaróvár

WELANIMAL MEETING9th October 2008

Thank youfor your attention