By Kanupriya Awasthi
From a source of milk to a provider of labour, the cow holds an important place in Indian society. The cow in todays debate and discussion has become a symbol of exploitation, linking the animal to religious sentiments. In India, this representation becomes a delicate issue, where the cow is considered to be a sacred animal for the Hindus who constitute 79.8% of the 1.252 billion citizens.
Cow slaughter has always been a point of contention in our country. With 24 out of 29 having various regulations on the slaughter or sale of a cow, Kerala, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and some of the North Eastern states are the only ones with no restrictions on such practices. However, it is the rearing or improper raising of cattle that happens to be the real issue, a practice that causes great harm to the environment.
The actual problem
The subject of cow slaughter though equally important, has already been discussed and debated over, it is now time that this issue takes a backseat and India focuses on the detrimental effects of cattle rearing. The negative impact of this practice is something that is not even considered by the literate community at large. The cattle rearing industrys global annual water consumption ranges from 34-76 trillion gallons and is valued at Rs. 1.4 trillion. Animal husbandry in India constitutes 25% of the global animal agriculture. Meat and dairy companies of the world, including Indian companies, use corn and corn products as feed to raise their livestock as this nourishes the livestock, leading to greater production of meat and milk. Growing of the maize crop requires 675,000 gallons of water per acre which is leading to the depletion of the already exhaustible resource. It must be pointed out that this not just a point of concern for the companies looking to maximise profit, but for also for our society who will ultimately pay the price.
Apart from the corn feed given to the livestock, cattle rearing organisations use grasslands for grazing purposes which occupy one-third of the earths ice-free land. Statistics show that animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of species extinction, water pollution and habitat destruction. Further research brings to light that a farm with 2500 dairy cows generates the same amount of waste as a city of 41,000 people. With the clearing of forests for conversion of lands to feeding grounds, it is crucial to look at the future environmental consequences of such ways.
Cow rearing: A dangerous practice?
Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn in their documentary, Cowspiracy: The sustainability secret have covered the issue using extensive research. “What do you think a cow does in its idle time? Chews its food, right?”. However, in this process of chewing and digestion, the cow releases methane, a threatening greenhouse gas. A big dairy company or a cattle rearing family in India may use 2-5 acres of land per cow for grazing purposes. The feed for one single cow is produced using approximately 30 gallons of water, part of which could be used in famine affected areas. Methane released by the cows in their digestion process constitutes 18% of the pollution created by greenhouse gases compared to the 13% caused by transportation services of the entire world.
The Academy Award winning actor and UN Climate Change Summit speaker, Leonardo Dicaprio, in his short film Before the Flood, emphasised the need for a more sustainable way of cattle rearing. The actor visited areas near Punjab and Haryana where he met with cattle herders and rearing firms which were associated with the dairy companies of the country. 8% of Indias GDP constitutes of dairy products, cattle rearing and meat products. The methane released by cows also results in a higher carbon footprint and no carbon offsets are placed to equalise the harm to the environment.
Some states have a penalty of 14 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 10 lakhs for cow slaughter. The regulations in place against cow slaughter and the sale of beef are not rooted in logic, like adverse environmental impacts, but are instead used to allay the emotions and religious sentiments of India’s population.
Required action
What can we, the common people do about this issue? Several petitions have been circulated for this cause, in hope that aimless discussions on cow slaughter will be replaced by productive talks on curbing the negative impacts of cattle rearing. Do we neglect the harm being caused just because it does not affect us directly or do we take an active stand against practices that threaten to destroy our environment in the coming future? Do we solve the Indian ‘cowspiracy’ theory? That is the question that needs to be answered.
Featured Image Source: Hindu Business Line