BQI Beacon: Issue #1

Issue 1 covers these topics: 1) Government policies shaping aquaculture. 2) Intensive and extensive livestock production in China. 3) Large investors' interest in animal welfare. 4) Environmental pressures from different foods. 5) Implementing international animal welfare standards. 6) Cage-free egg October 2023 production in China. 7) Game meat production in South Africa. 8) Meat consumption reduction in Brazil.

Academic works featured and their key messages

1. Naylor, Rosamond, Safari Fang, and Jessica Fanzo. “A Global View of Aquaculture Policy.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Government policies in LMICs have been instrumental in shaping their aquaculture sectors.

2. Cheng, Mingjin, Jiawei Quan, Jiaheng Yin, Xuewei Liu, Zengwei Yuan, and Lin Ma. “High-Resolution Maps of Intensive and Extensive Livestock Production in China.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Industrial livestock production systems are spreading but not yet dominant in China

3. Brice, Jeremy, George Cusworth, Jamie Lorimer, and Tara Garnett. “Immaterial Animals and Financialized Forests: Asset Manager Capitalism, ESG Integration and the Politics of Livestock.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Pension funds and other large, multi-sector investors may have little incentive to urge companies to improve animal welfare.

4. Halpern, Benjamin S., Melanie Frazier, Juliette Verstaen, Paul-Eric Rayner, Gage Clawson, Julia L. Blanchard, Richard S. Cottrell, et al. “The Environmental Footprint of Global Food Production.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Environmental pressures generated by food production vary greatly according to the type of food and where it is produced.

5. Vilas-Boas, Jean, Laurens Klerkx, and Rico Lie. “Facilitating International Animal Welfare Standards Implementation in National Contexts: The Role of Intermediaries in Brazilian Pig Production.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Implementing international animal welfare standards in a country requires concerted efforts by an ecosystem of people and organizations.

6. Bright, Ashleigh. “Egg Producer and Egg Buyer Disconnect: Exploring Barriers and Levers to Increase Cage-Free Egg Production in China.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Serious China-led efforts to align interests of egg producers and buyers are needed to speed up cage-free egg production in China.

7. Sommerville, Melanie, Lindokuhle Khumalo, Tariro Kamuti, and Shirley Brooks. “Game On! Understanding the Emerging Game Meat Value Chain in South Africa.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Game meat production in South Africa on the cusp of expansion and intensification.

8. Cook, Brian. “Effective Behaviour Change Strategies to Promote Meat Reduction in Brazil.”

   KEY TAKEAWAY: Strategies to reduce meat consumption in Brazil need to satisfy multiple conditions and consider the country's diverse diet landscape.

Brief mention (non-academic reports)

1. FAO. “Contribution of terrestrial animal source food to healthy diets for improved nutrition and health outcomes – An evidence and policy overview on the state of knowledge and gaps.”
2. World Bank Group. “IFC Practices for sustainable investment in private sector livestock operations.”