Abstract

This book presents a collection of essays exploring the legal, economic, socio-environmental, and ethical dimensions of human-animal interaction in Brazil. As one of the primary global producers and exporters of beef, with a level of biodiversity in its rain-forests found nowhere else under threat, the importance of Brazil for animal life is unquestionable. Shedding light on the profound transformations in the consumption and production of animal-sourced foods that have taken place over the last five decades, the authors examine the consequences of this phenomenon for the lives of animals, the health of the population, and the environment. The book also offers an analysis of the animal welfare and animal protection legislation in Brazil, before presenting a number of notable cases involving animal advocacy and activism in recent years. An important and timely collection, this book concludes with an exploration of the historical, socio-cultural and economic aspects that influence the Brazilian ethos regarding the morality of the treatment of animals.