Livestock in Evolving Foodscapes and Thoughtscapes

Summary

This essay traces humanity's evolving relationship with livestock and animal-sourced foods across major societal transitions, from hunter-gathering through state-controlled agricultural domestication to contemporary post-domestic food systems. The authors identify emerging tensions between two competing future food system narratives—radical livestock abolishment versus holistic, regenerative animal husbandry—and argue for a paradigm emphasising 'more of the better' rather than mere reduction. The work positions livestock within broader epistemic and foodscape transformations shaped by urbanisation, corporate agri-food systems, and emerging global threats including public health crises, climate change, and societal inequality.

Regional applicability

The paper traces the origins of the post-domestic paradigm to 19th-century urbanising populations in the Anglosphere, including the United Kingdom, making it directly relevant to understanding contemporary British food system debates. However, the analysis is global in scope and does not provide UK-specific policy recommendations or empirical validation of claims within UK contexts.

Key measures

Qualitative analysis of epistemological and societal transitions in food systems; conceptual framing of livestock's role across historical periods and future scenarios.

Outcomes reported

The paper examines historical and contemporary transitions in humanity's relationship with livestock and animal source foods, mapping shifts from hunter-gatherer subsistence through domestication to post-domestic and potential future food paradigms. It contrasts two disruptive scenarios: radical abolishment of livestock versus holistic, regenerative animal husbandry approaches.

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