We often hear of the disconnect between urban dwellers and the farming community here in Australia and in other parts of the world. Most people don’t grow food and many don’t know anyone who does grow food and have little understanding of how their food is produced.
It seems to me that the disconnect goes further than that –
the urban existence means that many people no longer have an appreciation for
the circle of life. Temple Grandin puts
it this way – “Unfortunately most people never observe the natural cycle of
birth and death. They do not realise
that for one thing living to survive, another living thing must die”.
Life feeds on life – every living thing whether it is a
fish, bird, bacteria, plant or fungi feeds on other living things. Humans are part of this despite the fact that
most of our food is sourced from a supermarket.
Grazing animals of which domesticated livestock are an
important component of this cycle of life.
Ruminant animals have the ability to digest cellulose in grass in their
rumen – the first component of their complex digestive system. Of course it is not the animal that is
digesting the cellulose but the bacteria, fungi and protozoa in the rumen.
Livestock are able to digest the plant material and return
nutrients to the soil through urine and faeces.
Without the grazing the plant material will continue to build up and
prevent new plant material from growing.
The grasses need the livestock as much as the livestock needs the
grass.
In addition to gaining the benefit of recycled nutrients,
people are able to benefit from livestock through the supply of products such
as meat, milk and fibre. In Australia
most of the land mass is made up of open rangelands. Cattle are able to utilise the vegetation on
marginal, uncultivated land and convert this into food.
Further Reading
Thinking in
Pictures. And Other Reports from My Life
with Autism. Temple Grandin. Vintage Books.
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