Utilization of Livestock

The utilization of livestock for food production and economic value creation has occupied an ever-greater space since the Second World War. Significant productivity increases occurred based on increased performance’s biological potential, primarily tapped through targeted breeding and nutritional measures. In addition, technical developments create the precondition for drastically reducing the labor time expenditure per product unit and significantly expanding the transport, processing, and distribution possibilities. Production processes are also undergoing fundamental changes due to changes in economic conditions. The interlocking of intensification processes brings about productivity increases of hitherto unknown proportions and a considerable degree of undesirable side effects. These mainly affect the farm animals. They pay not only with significant restrictions in space allowance but also in their options to exercise species’ specific behavior. Above all, they are confronted with a high degree of production diseases, accompanied by pain, suffering, and damage, indicating an overstressed ability to adapt to suboptimal living conditions. To grasp occurrence, relevance, and potential solutions, the driving forces behind the productivity increases and the development of undesirable side-effects need to be understood.