Horse breeding and horse meat production in Kazakhstan: current status, safety challenges and future development prospects

Аннотация

Background and Aim. The global agri-food system is facing systemic challenges driven by climate change, depletion of land and water resources and increasing demand for animal protein. Productive horse breeding represents a strategically important, environmentally sustainable pathway for diversifying the meat market. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of horse breeding and horse meat production in the Republic of Kazakhstan, including an assessment of the veterinary and sanitary, environmental, and biological factors affecting the quality, nutritional value and safety of horse meat products.
Materials and Methods. The study was based on statistical data, analytical reports and published scientific literature addressing various aspects of horse breeding and horse meat production.
Results. The conducted analysis demonstrates that global productive horse breeding is on the threshold of a conceptual shift. The present review advances a fundamentally new position: horse meat should be considered not merely as an ethnocultural niche or a marginal regional specialty, but as a strategically important, environmentally sustainable protein system of global significance.
Conclusion. From the perspective of the One Health systems concept, horse breeding and horse meat production are regarded as an interconnected system linking animal health, human health and environmental health. Contemporary approaches to the sustainable development of the industry require the consideration of environmental, veterinary and sanitary, and biological factors that affect the safety and quality of the products. The study identified key methodological and infrastructural limitations that impede the development of the sector and highlighted the role of horse meat as a strategic source of protein in addressing global food security challenges.