Nr. 108 - August 2011
Insight
SEKEM‘s Journal for Economy, Culture, and Society in Egypt
Editorial Dear Readers, SEKEM‘s commitment to organic agriculture is well known - less known, however, is the importance of livestock breeding for the initiative. It is also carried out in accordance with the global demeter standard. In fact, SEKEM is the only demeter-certified breeder in Egypt.
Animal Husbandry
Partnerships
Sustainability
Animal, Farm and Man in Harmony
Lebensbaum: A Partner for 25 Years
The Developments at SEKEM of 2010
An Important Part of the Whole of Agriculture As the only demeter-certified breeder of livestock in Egypt, SEKEM is treading unusual ways in ensuring animal welfare and educate their keepers.
Generally speaking, animal welfare is still a rarity in the country. One obstacle to it are Egypt’s geographical limitations. There is not enough surface area to allow for the open grazing of animals and the climate makes permanent stabling necessary. Social aspects of common practice play a role, too. Many travellers have witnessed the infamous livestock transports through the country’s deserts where the animals are placed on pick-up trucks, on top of each other, while still being alive. SEKEM’s calves are held in stables all year round with lots of space to move about.
In contrast, animal husbandry following demeter standards calls for a radical rethinking of the relationship between animal, farm and man. The animal is no longer of material interest only but treated as a „partner“ in creating a liveable environment. This issue features a special article on animal breeding at SEKEM.
Your Team of Editors Find SEKEM also on the Internet at:
M
odern animal husbandry in Egypt today suffers from just the same problems of intensive agriculture and animal breeding as its counterparts in many industrialised countries. It is seen primarily as a factor of production and thus monetary investment. The keeping of livestock in a symbiotic relationship with the practice of agriculture, that is in addition to crop production and as a natural ingredient of soil care and conservation, is virtually unknown. Therefore the individual
animal and its needs are generally not at the centre of interest of its owner, but primarily the question of how the greatest financial return can be earned through rapid fattening on a massive scale. Only in rural areas, a small-scale form of animal husbandry has occasionally survived the ages. Here the cow is sometimes even treated like an actual „family member“ and often in fact inhabits the house of its owner. SEKEM Insight | August 2011 | Page 1