Animals are beneficial to humans since they produce besides food, products
for medical uses and energy. They are also used for transport, animal power
, fertilizer, companion and sports. Intensification of animal agriculture h
as allowed reasonable economic growth in developing regions. This will cont
inue more intensively with world globalization. As a consequence, tradition
al family farming is losing space to the enterprise organizations concerned
with profit returns on investments. This circumstance together with the me
chanization of agriculture is driving human populations to the cities and p
roducing a trend to reduce growth on the rural areas of developing countrie
s. Animal production will continue to increase both in volume and in produc
tivity to meet the demand for high-value protein in these transition societ
ies. However, official authorities of developing countries should consider
the environmental problems and health issues raised by animal production in
the most developed areas of the world. Improved livestock productivity to
support economic development and sustainable resource management are not in
compatible goals. Limits for the application of technologies should conside
r aspects of animal production in terms of food, animal welfare and protect
ion of the environment. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.