Animal Day: Five Freedoms to care the Fauna

For about 200,000 years, since humans became the dominant species, we have made many transformations to nature in order to survive and evolve. Without getting into the rightness and wrongness of this process, it’s essential to acknowledge that we have a symbiotic relationship with the planet, and that the more we take care of it, the more well-being we will be able to obtain, even securing our own continued existence. This also entails the controlled, sustainable, and friendly use of all the species that coexist with us during our time on Earth, among which are the animals.

Animals, both wild and domestic, play a crucial role in the world’s well-being and ecological balance. They provide valuable benefits such as ecosystem conservation, companionship in daily life, and a source of protein and micronutrient for humans. For this and more, animals deserve respect and a dignified life. The Five Animal Freedoms, enunciated in 1965, outline the standards of care and treatment that humans should provide for them, particularly for the domestic ones. At the Tropical Forages Program of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, these five freedoms are addressed as cross-cutting themes in the ethical treatment of animals, with a particular focus on cattle, which are central to our research and work.

These insatiable ruminants domesticated around 10,000 years ago have reached all latitudes in two major species: Bos indicus (originating from Asia) and Bos taurus (originating from Middle East). They are very interesting animals, with defined habits and behaviors, including hierarchical structures within their groups. In commemoration of the World Animal Day, we want to emphasize the importance of ensuring that the spaces, technologies, and resources used in livestock farming adhere to these five freedoms: