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Connections Hidden in Plain Sight
At about 4.5 billion, the population of just farmed animals, working animals, animals in laboratories, and community animals far exceeds that of the human population in the country – this is discounting India’s wildlife. These animals and millions of human beings come into varying degrees of contact for food, companionship, mobility, livelihoods and survival daily. The complications within these interactions, however, are overshadowed by development rhetoric. For example, currently India is the largest producer of dairy, 2nd largest producer of eggs, and the 5th largest producer of meat globally. But behind these ranks, are 4.3 billion farmed animals caught in deeply intensive production systems.
This scale of production is antithetical to the Five Freedoms Framework of animal welfare which India prescribes in its welfare standards — like freedom from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, injury and diseases, fear and distress, and the freedom to express natural behaviours. On the contrary, most farmed animals are caught in unnatural cycles of commodification, confinement, invisibility and insecurity.
The suffering of these animals doesn’t exist in isolation. “Amidst farmed animals, for example, we often overlook the profound ripple effect of animal suffering on farmers and laborers—the toll on their health, the well-being of their children, the very fabric of the communities near the farm. In this oversight, we fail to recognize the faces of those who are being marginalized further,” says Alokparna Sengupta, Managing Director at Humane Society International’s India chapter.
“Our attitude to animals essentially comes from a point of law which regards animals as property. And what do you do when you have property? You use it. You use it to the fullest possible extent,” says Bharti Ramchandran, the Chief Executive Officer at the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO). Loopholes in existing laws and low penalties for cruelty make it difficult to implement even basic animal welfare on the ground. This, combined with low awareness about animal use and suffering, means critical issues remain unaddressed.
A Multifaceted Approach
Inclusive, representative and holistic animal welfare must become a priority for India. The first step is building mass awareness. This awareness needs to move beyond the binary of “us and them” and recognise the intersections. The second step is increasing financial support for advocacy, programming, research, and innovation.
“Philanthropists can play a vital role by targeting specific small areas where people live hand to mouth and depend on animals where people live hand to mouth and depend on animals, investing in outreach programs that address immediate needs and foster a healthier community,” says Uttara Kennedy, Veterinarian at RSPCA Queensland.
“New technologies are emerging and various stakeholders including the government, the corporate sector and philanthropists can play a key role in transitioning to the new technologies and create a world devoid of suffering for all species,” suggests GV Prasad, Co-Chairman & MD, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.
The third step is nurturing talent and capacity building, encouraging qualified individuals to join the animal welfare sector. The Ahimsa Fellowship program has already created 50 leaders in the animal welfare space. Over the next few years, the aim is to create over 500 leaders and incubate several new organizations to address challenges in this area. The fourth step is better policy making and enforcement, where underserved species and human communities are centered. For example, in many societies, working animals share intricate connections with the daily lives of their people, yet there exists a detachment when it comes to policy. Considering this can lead us to more sustainable solutions.
Zootopia within Reach
A tempered perspective, a commitment to acknowledging, resolving and pushing our boundaries of compassion — these are the building blocks for a future where humans and animals thrive together. It holds promise for a more conscientious India — where farming and industrial practices engage proactively to uphold public health and environmental integrity; where humane treatment of animals is considered central to economic prosperity; and where compassion forms the cornerstone of our relationship with the natural world.
Individually and together, we all have our parts to play. As individuals, citizens can spur incremental change by adopting kinder and informed consumption practices. As communities, we can support urban local bodies, report animal welfare issues, and enable the care of community animals. Corporations can ensure ethical practices towards animals across their supply chains, while governments can use subsidies, taxes and regulatory policy to encourage welfare. Non-profits can continue to conduct subject-matter research, document best practices, and advocate for improved policy enforcement.
In a world obsessed with metrics, animal welfare might seem like an emotional issue. But what if it’s the missing piece in our progress puzzle? Then championing animal welfare might be our smartest move yet.
— The authors; Parag Agarwal, is Founder at India Animal Fund, and Kasturi Gandhi and Mahima Sharda, are Manager and Associate respectively at DASRA. The views are personal.
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