Page 25 - Vol. 39-No.4 issue

DAIRY FARMING

in the mountains because you know the Several states, including North Macedo- and passion, ensuring that, in the end, cus-
tag number and you can find them easily,’’ nia, Albania, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and tomers can make informed choices and that
Ramaz said. countries in the Caribbean, have expressed animal-origin food is safer for all.
With the support of the Swiss Agency interest in sharing the electronic system or
for Development and Cooperation and system development experiences. Spread-
the Austrian Development Cooperation, ing NAITS best practices and sharing expe-
FAO and Georgia’s National Food Agency riences will be beneficial both for Georgia
implemented this traceability project, mak- and the countries now implementing animal
ing Georgia the first country in the region registration systems.
to introduce an animal identification and In the meantime, the women veterinari-
registration system. ans diligently do their jobs with dedication
Circle 29 on enquiry card
MEAT, EGGS AND MILK ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF

NUTRIENTS ESPECIALLY FOR MOST VULNERABLE GROUPS

Meat, eggs and milk offer crucial sources trial animals (including milk, eggs, meat) unsustainable water and land use, pollution,
of much-needed nutrients which cannot varies widely around the world. A person food–feed competition), herd management
easily be obtained from plant-based foods, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (e.g. low productivity, overgrazing, poor
a new report by the Food and Agriculture consumes on average only 160 grams of animal welfare), animal health related issues
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) milk a year, while someone in Montenegro (e.g. diseases, antimicrobial resistance), hu-
says. consumes 338 kilograms. Looking at eggs, man-livestock related issues (e.g. zoonotic
This is particularly vital during key life a person in South Sudan consumes 2 grams and food-borne diseases) and social issues
stages such as pregnancy and lactation, on average a year compared to an average (e.g. equity).”
childhood, adolescence and older age, says 25kg for a person in Hong Kong. The av- Risks
the study, entitled Contribution of terres- erage person in Burundi consumes just 3
trial animal source food to healthy diets for kilograms of meat a year, compared to 136 As to evidence of risks from consuming
improved nutrition and health outcomes. kilograms for someone living in Hong Kong. animal source food, the report says that
consumption of even low levels of pro-
It’s the most comprehensive analysis yet cessed red meat can increase the risk of
of the benefits and risks of consuming an- mortality and chronic disease outcomes,
imal source foods and is based on data and including cardiovascular diseases and
evidence from more than 500 scientific colorectal cancer. However, consuming un-
papers and some 250 policy documents. processed red meat in moderate amounts
Meat, eggs and milk provide a range of (ranging from 9 to 71 grams per day) may
important macro-nutrients such as protein, have minimal risk but is considered safe
fats and carbohydrates and micro-nutrients with regards to chronic disease outcomes.
that are difficult to obtain from plant based Meanwhile the evidence of any links
foods in the required quality and quanti- between milk, eggs and poultry con-
ty, the report says. High quality protein, a Role in achieving the SDGs sumption in healthy adults and diseases
number of essential fatty-acids, iron, cal- If consumed as part of an appropriate such as coronary heart disease, strokes
cium, zinc, selenium, Vitamin B12, choline diet, animal source foods can help with and hypertension is inconclusive (for milk)
and bioactive compounds like carnitine, meeting the nutrition targets endorsed by or non-significant (for eggs and poultry).
creatine, taurine are provided by foods the World Health Assembly and Sustaina- The recent First Session of FAO’s Com-
from terrestrial animals and have impor- ble Development Goals (SDGs) related to mittee on Agriculture Sub-Committee
tant health and developmental functions. reducing stunting, wasting among children on Livestock encouraged governments
Iron and vitamin A are among the most under five years of age, low birthweight, to update national dietary guidelines to
common micronutrient deficiencies around anemia in women of reproductive age, and consider where appropriate how meat,
the world, particularly in children and obesity and non-communicable diseases eggs and milk can contribute to specific
pregnant women. Globally, more than 1 (NCDs) in adults. nutrient requirements during the life course
in 2 preschool aged children (372 million) But at the same time, the livestock of humans.
and 1.2 billion women of child-bearing sector “must contribute to addressing a
age suffer from the lack of at least one range of challenges,” write FAO Deputy
of three micronutrients: iron, vitamin A Director-General Maria Helena Semedo ADVERTISE IN THE ARAB
ADVERTISE IN THE ARAB
or zinc. Three quarters of these children and Chief Economist Máximo Torero Cullen
WORLD AGRIBUSINESS
live in South and East Asia, the Pacific and in a foreword to the report. WORLD AGRIBUSINESS
MAGAZINE AND PROMOTE
sub-Saharan Africa. MAGAZINE AND PROMOTE
“These include issues related to the
Not surprisingly, according to the re- environment (e.g. deforestation, land- YOUR PRODUCTS
YOUR PRODUCTS
port, consumption of food from terres- use changes, greenhouse-gas emissions,
Circle 30 on enquiry card Vol. 39 No. 4 23