Animals within us
Agricultural communities developed approximately 10,000 years ago when humans began to domesticate plants and animals. Humans?have since then attained the status of Gods, controlling the kingdom! Not very just and merciful ones, for sure!?
If you watch any animal documentary on the OTT channels, having got bored of fiction genres, you are likely to get the impression that the world is full of ferocious and wild animals like lions, tigers, elephants etc. But in reality, the world is mainly populated by humans and their domesticated animals. Others are facing extinction.?
Scientists are debating whether Earth is now in the midst of mass extinction. If so, it may be the fastest one ever with a rate of 1,000 to 10,000 times the baseline extinction rate of one to five species per year. Humans are largely responsible for the striking trend. Scientists believe that pollution, land clearing, and overfishing might drive half of the planet’s existing land and marine species to extinction by 2100.
So during this extinction how are wild and domesticated animals faring. Studies indicate that a genetic divergence occurred between dogs and wolves some 20,000–40,000 years ago only. Now there are only 200 thousand wolves roaming but 400 million domesticated dogs around the world. With a lot of focus, we have been able to increase the number of wild cats, tigers, number to 3000 in India (app 4000 globally), whereas there are 1.5 million domesticated cats in India.
Dogs generally don't fall in the category, but It is heart wrenching to listen to the stories of cruelty and apathy to animals being raised for meat, fibre, milk, eggs or other products. Humans started farming animals before they started farming crops.
A recent BBC analysis suggests that the use of land for growing food and forestry accounts for around 25% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. That is essentially the same as from electricity and heating, and considerably more than from all the trains, planes and automobiles on the planet. Every year, in the UK alone, approximately 2.6 million cattle, 10 million pigs, 14.5 million sheep and lambs, 80 million fish and 950 million birds are slaughtered for human consumption. Livestock farming will almost certainly be one of the things that future generations look back on as horrific, primitive and shameful.?
Many animal rights groups have taken up the cause of animals.? One such organization is PETA. Founded in 1980, PETA operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. PETA educates policymakers and the public about animal abuse and promotes kind treatment of animals.?
PETA has been controversial but it has been able to register some notable victories. One such win was in 2020, when after a first-of-its-kind undercover PETA investigation of one of the world’s largest alpaca wool producers revealed that crying alpacas were roughly shorn, cut open, and left bleeding from deep wounds.? They could persuade major companies—including UNIQLO, Overstock.com, and ESPRIT—to make the compassionate decision to ban alpaca wool. Similarly their victory to ban fur clothes has been remarkable.?
But in India, there has been a? chequered history with PETA, especially regarding criticism of some of Indian festivals whereas similar festivals of west being spared. But it is not the festivals where our focus is. It's about the holiest of domesticated animals for Indians, the cow. PETA, urged a few weeks ago, to Amul India, India’s largest dairy company, to switch over to produce vegan milk instead of dairy milk.
The logic is cruelty against cows, and their question is ”Would you drink dog's milk? No. Why? Because nature made cow's milk for calves, and human milk for our babies. Nobody needs milk after infancy or the milk of another species.”?
Before we look at the dairy industry, let's look at India’s standing in the world in the most ecologically devastating meat consumption.
And now when you see where India stands, going after the dairy industry of India does look like focusing on wrong priorities.?
India is the world's largest milk producer, with 22 percent of global production, followed by the United States of America, China, Pakistan and Brazil.? India was a country of acute milk milk shortage some 3-4 decades ago. Dairy plays a significant part in numerous aspects of Indian society, including cuisine, religion, culture, and the economy. Even our wrestlers have been drinking milk and dairy products to strengthen their bodies in the vegetarian way.
Milk is a natural superfood and is vegetarian, and Amul argues that plant-based drinks contain additives like stabilisers and thickening agents while being 6x costly. Vegan milk is produced in factories whereas dairy milk is produced mainly by farmers. Amul had to come out with an ad to let the known be published that Cows are worshipped in India, so farmers don't treat bovines with cruelty. Milk has been an integral part of Indian lives since the Harappan civilisation from 4,500 years ago. Some date it back to 8000 years ago. But it never became a heartless profit making industry. Dairy got imbibed in our religion and culture. It's not just Hinduism, as widely perceived,? Buddhism and Jainism also treat cows as sacred. Article 48 of the Constitution of India is one of the Directive Principles which directs the state to make efforts for banning animal slaughtering of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.
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So the logic that dairy milk should not be produced to avoid cruelty to cows, looks very wobbly in Indian context. The good logic that works elsewhere may not work the same here.?
We see this very much in our offices too. What worked in one market, one department, one product is hoped for to succeed in the other. But the nuances may be very different for that case. It's important to be able to defend the difference and tweak the strategy, for the best success for all. Let's not lose focus on priorities, and remain mindful of the environment. It may be more important than the noble intentions, and more impactful. Let's choose our battles wisely.
Sources:
FCA, LLM
3 年Very insightful!
Data & AI Sales Specialist @ Google | VC Relationships - Google for Startups
3 年Excellent analogy Vivek
Account Director - Aviation Vertical
3 年You choose a highly controversial topic Vivek Anand. Linking it to today’s scenario on not every product is built for every market is quite good. One size really doesn’t fit all.
Interior Design Consultant at AM Designs and Associates
3 年Nicely explained Vivek
Chief Design and Sustainability Officer @ Godrej Properties Limited
3 年Amazing analysis Vivek Anand bottom line is excess of anything is bad, agility and flexibility to course correct is required and the same remains relevant in corporate world. Keep sharing these nuggets.