Industrial livestock farming in China: economic, environmental, and ethical implications

Abstract

In recent years, the rising food demand triggered by an increasing population, the acceleration of the urbanization rate, and rising incomes due to economic growth have caused a transformation in China’s agricultural sector and induced the nation’s current dietary shift from plant-based to animal-based food. The rapid growth of the industrial livestock farming sector to feed the country’s population and the associated exploitation of animals have not only raised ethical concerns but have also been called into question for their harmful impact on the environment. The debate of a more ethical treatment of animals and the questions about the harmful consequences of livestock farming on the environment are now more relevant than ever before. China has to face the difficult task of reconciling the two conflicting demands for animal food products and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, many of the ethical concerns regarding the systematic mass exploitation of animals to feed the country have remained unanswered. This thesis aims to examine the systematic exploitation of animals in China by analyzing the country’s meat consumption, industrial livestock production, and the associated environmental consequences and ethical issues. It aims to provide a better understanding of the human-animal relations in China and explore whether the current treatment of animals induced by the nation’s rapid economic growth is environmentally and morally sustainable.