One of the criticisms levelled by animal activists at intensive livestock farming is that it hinders the development of biodiversity. This thought makes it clear that those who criticise intensive livestock farming know very little about what they are talking about.
To speak of ‘biodiversity at risk’ in relation to, for example, poultry farming is nonsense. Biodiversity is in fact an aptitude of any ‘natural system’ (i.e. without human interference) that functions autonomously whether one wants it to or not. It can be said that biodiversity is self-regulating in relation to any change within it and, above all, it does not act to maintain its initial state unchanged … it is constantly evolving. Constantly. The ‘Nature’ we see today is not the nature we could observe 30 years ago and in 30 years time it will still be different. Human beings inevitably influence biodiversity because they are part of nature. And their influence derives from their own existence and the constant quest to survive by feeding ‘in the biodiversity around them’ (in addition to all the other ‘extra’ activities that identify humans).
Returning to the area of protected (also referred to as intensive) breeding, it is important to emphasise that the industry simply selects a few better breeds and reproduces them so that ‘the World’ can constantly have quality, cheap, safe meat and eggs… The industry does not hinder any form of biodiversity development; it simply reproduces a few poultry breeds and ensures that reproduction is guaranteed.
Although it is evident that the breeds chosen include the predominantly white-feathered ‘broiler’, the division also selects and breeds many other breeds that are better adapted to certain, specific environmental conditions due to their adaptability to areas with predominantly high temperatures, high conversion capacity and hatching efficiency. All to enable poultry farming to supply every latitude equally while maintaining its ability to ensure animal welfare and feed efficiency.
Although it appears clear that among the chosen breeds there is a prevalence of the so-called “broiler” with white plumage, the sector also selects and breeds many other breeds that adapt better to specific environmental conditions due to their adaptability, like areas with high temperatures high and high humidity. All this to allow poultry farming to equitably supply every latitude while maintaining its ability to guarantee animal welfare and food efficiency.
Thanks to these attentions, the poultry sector not only does not hinder the biodiversity but, thanks to the enormous amount of information accumulated over the years, it is able to offer a great variety of choices precisely in order to act on the markets with great flexibility and meet the most diverse demands, from the variability of plumage colours to the demands of niche markets and emerging segments, such as those of slow growth, free range, organic… These are all demands that ‘the market’ (consumers, large-scale retail trade, associations) demand (or pretend), often ignoring the fact that meeting certain demands requires a great deal of study, analysis, investment and organisation… and that this would not be possible with only small farms idealised by organisations criticising the poultry system.
With the natural genetic selection programme, the sector guarantees continuous improvements in robustness and animal welfare and the constant training of the entire supply chain so that there is a growing awareness of the commitment that protected breeding requires in order to maintain high production quality standards right up to the final stage of the supply chain represented by that simple act of buying a chicken or an egg at the supermarket.
We have also addressed this issue at this link:
https://moreaboutchicken.com/biodiversity-runs-itself/
The editorial staff of M.A.C.
