The World Commission on Environment and Development to study the relationships between ecological health, economic development and social equality was set up by the United Nations in 1983. The commission published a report in 1987, Our Common Future, which defined sustainable development as, ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs’. While other definitions of sustainability certainly exist, this one seems to me at least to still be appropriate 35 years later. Sustainability is usually considered to be made up of three core concepts or ‘pillars’ — economic, environmental and social — and these can be applied in almost all facets of life. In particular, commercial activity at many levels from global economic developments to our personal food, housing, transport or other life choices. Everything we do has environmental, economic and social ramifications both up stream and down.
No one in the UK could have failed to see the impact, at least in the media, of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow in November 2021. Nor, if you talk to young people, would you fail to understand the significance they put on the matter discussed at that conference. I have three teenage children growing up in the West of Scotland, the focus and understanding of these matters amongst their generation cannot be ignored. So, what can we as livestock veterinary surgeons do to make our businesses, and those of our clients more sustainable?
There are those, particularly vocal at this time of year during the so called ‘veganuary’ campaign, who would say that the best thing we can do is stop supporting the farming of animals and ruminants in particular. You may not be surprised to hear I do not share their opinion that that is best way to, ‘Save the Planet’. The global population is not going to stop demanding animal protein anytime soon, and I for one feel that our role should be to optimise the efficiency of that production, while also further enhancing animal welfare and minimising environmental impacts. Having said that, I see no problem in rich western nations where meat and dairy consumption is high in suggesting we each eat a little less but focus on high quality, home produced high welfare products, or that we should be prepared to pay a fair price for that food. In parts of the world where children are, even now, having their physical and cognitive development stunted as a result of malnutrition other arguments clearly apply, and for that reason I support the work of charities such as Send a Cow (sendacow.org).
At the turn of a year, it is common to reflect on what we can do better in life and make New Year resolutions. Often these are short lived and have little impact on our lives and certainly limited impact on others. However, this year perhaps like no other, after COP26, I think we have a responsibility to consider what we can do to improve sustainability in our professional and personal lives. There is lots out there to help us; for example the work of Vet Sustain (vetsustain.org) and policy documents and a tool kit produced by the BVA https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/working-towards-a-greener-profession/ as well as the BCVA sustainability policy https://www.bcva.org.uk/content/bcva-launches-new-sustainability-policy-statement and sustainable parasite control policy https://www.bcva.org.uk/content/new-bcva-policy-prioritises-parasite-control. There are also many other resources available online too numerous to list here.
The challenge therefore for 2022 is for all of us in the profession, whether in education, industry, practice, the food chain, government or anywhere else we bring our professional skills to bear, to consider how we can make the actions we take, our businesses and those of our clients more sustainable.