Dairy Farming, Animal Welfare, and Islamic Deep Ecology: A Study of Two Dairy Farms in Yogyakarta through Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s Thought

Abstract

This study aims to analyze modern dairy farming management practices at Supri Farm and Pranajaya Farm in Yogyakarta and examine their ethical implications for human–animal relations from the perspective of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s thought. This research employs an interpretive qualitative approach through one-month field observations and semi-structured in-depth interviews with two farm owners purposively selected based on their commercial production orientation, adoption of modern dairy farming systems, and involvement in surrounding community economic activities. The data were analyzed interpretively by identifying dairy farming practices and examining them through Nasr’s critique of the instrumentalization of nature in modernity. The findings reveal that both farms implement calf separation, machine milking twice daily, confined housing systems, and artificial insemination as part of reproductive management. These practices demonstrate a dominant orientation toward efficiency and productivity, which, from Nasr’s perspective, may indicate a tendency to position animals as economic instruments. However, this study does not directly measure the psychological conditions of cows or ecological impacts. Therefore, the findings remain contextual and limited to the two investigated farms. This study contributes a conceptual analysis of modern dairy farming practices through the framework of Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s Islamic environmental ethics.