Research standards exist to safeguard the credibility, reliability, and societal value of scholarly inquiry. They define the principles, expectations, and practices that ensure research is conducted with integrity, rigor, transparency, and accountability.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in the U.S. articulate research as the use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through that process. Research standards, therefore, govern both how knowledge is generated and how it is communicated and applied.
These standards apply across disciplines and are especially critical when research informs public policy, industry practice, or public health.
The Role of Animal Agriculture
Estimates indicate that we are heading towards a global population of 10 billion around 2050. Currently the split in food consumption is around 70/30 plant versus animal based and there is considerable data on the nutritional value of these food groups. Here we outline the key considerations in the role of animal agriculture.
Health and Nutrition
Human health is inseparable from nutrition, and healthy diets include a mix of locally available plant and animal sourced foods. Incorporation of meat and milk in human diets is directly linked to our evolution over four million years, with these nutritionally-dense, highly bioavailable foods related to specialised gut and brain development.
Environment
Food production from plants and animals impacts the natural environment in various ways. It affects things like land and water usage, the natural balance of greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration, and biodiversity conservation.
Societal
Livestock are a critical part of life, indeed survival, for many in the worlds’ poorest countries. Supporting the livelihoods of a billion people in Africa, Asia and Latin America, they provide food, income and a safety net in time of crisis. Cattle also have a central cultural role in many ethnic groups.
