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Comparison between 'traditional' and 'modern' animal production and healthcare

Evelyn Mathias, November 2001

The terms 'traditional' and 'modern' are used in a neutral way to differentiate the systems and practices developed by communities from those developed at universities and research stations.

	Comparison between traditional and intensive animal production systems
	Comparison between ethnoveterinary and modern veterinary medicine

Traditional versus intensive animal production

All over the world a wide spectrum of animal production systems exists. These range from 'traditional' low-input management systems in remote rural areas to 'modern' intensive production units where hundreds of animals are kept for the sole purpose of producing food for sale. Numerous variations exist between the two extremes.

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Traditional Intensive

The following table compares the extreme ends of the spectrum. However, we need to keep in mind that in reality only few systems will match the ends of the spectrum. Most will combine characteristics of both ends.

Traditional management

Intensive production

Goal

Minimization of risk

Maximization of profit

Means

Integration

e.g., agriculture and animal production, keeping several species, placing a few animals with neighbours

Specialization and automatization

e.g. chicken farm, large dairy production

Investments

Low; optimises investments rather than production

High; maximises production

Breeds

Mostly local multipurpose breeds

Mostly high performance breeds

Purpose of animal production

	Food, fibre, fertilizer and fuel
	Cash income
	Draught power and transportation
	Savings account
	Buffer against crop failure and other risks
	Employment
	A way to access and use common property
	Support for the social network and culture

Production of food for sale

Effect on environment

Sustainable use of vegetation and resources which have no other use

High use of energy, production of large amounts of animal wastes

Labour/capital

Labour intensive

Capital intensive

Flexibility

High

Low

Dependence on inputs from outside

Low

High

Market orientation

Low

High

Source: Modified after Hooft 1999:26

Ethnoveterinary versus modern veterinary medicine

Again, this section compares two extremes at the end of a wide spectrum. The majority of the real-life systems will be somewhere inbetween.

	Ethnoveterinary medicine	Modern veterinary medicine
Integration	Integration with culture, religion and other aspects of a community’s life; animal healers often also treat humans, and human healers treat animals	Separation from animal husbandry, human medicine, pharmacy, and religion
Approach	Holistic: treats whole patient	Treatments often target specific organs
Diagnosis	Depends mostly on observation and the senses	Hightech methods play important role
Prevention and treatment	Stimulates immunity and improves the general condition	Seeks to control micro-organisms

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This site is maintained by Evelyn Mathias	Updated 07 October 2002