On the Impact of Cattle Farming on Human Health and Nutrition in Long-run History: First Quantitative Estimates
This study discusses on the impact of animal based agriculture on human health and welfare over the past three millennia. We argue that a higher share of cattle in agriculture correlates strongly with human health and better nutritional quality. We study Mediterranean and other European societies since the late Bronze age.
If there was positive health and nutrition effects, the question is of course why not all societies during all centuries decided to use milk and meat from cattle. We argue that this was only possible in sparsely populated regions of Europe, as well as after major human-epidemic events which reduced the population and resulted in high land per capita endowments for the following generations. Moreover, lactose tolerance played a modest role. One exception to the rule is the region around UK and Benelux that experienced both heavy urbanization and a relatively high share of cattle in agriculture.
