Animals and Development: A Case Study of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund

Food animals such as cattle, chickens, goats, fish and bees are central to Canada’s international development initiatives which are attempting to eradicate global poverty, hunger, and foster sustainable development. Yet, despite the economic and social prevalence of these programs globally, the animals in these projects are often only counted as economic units; their relationships with the people and environment they interact with, and their welfare are left invisible and unaccounted for. This research centres the animals at the heart of Canadian international development interventions. Through a mixed methods approach, this research documents the historic roles of animals in Canadian development interventions, both domestically and globally; the actors, roles and representations of animals through a contemporary case study of the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF); and looks to the future of animals in development by interrogating the synergies and tensions of the implementation of animal welfare paradigms such as the One Welfare framework. This interdisciplinary research unites animal geographies and development studies to provide scholarly insights on global animal-human relationships, animal welfare, and global well-being to inform future animal-human practices in development.