The hidden effects of dairy farming on public and environmental health, considering the use of antibiotics and other agro-chemicals
The current and expected growth of the world’s population warrants an increased production of high-quality animal protein. Dairy farming is regarded as one of the important ways of satisfying this need to meet the growing demand for milk, especially in developing countries.
Increased use of antibiotics
The focus on crossbreeding and increasing the productivity of dairy cattle has, besides enhanced milk production, also resulted in an increased use of agro- chemicals, mainly antibiotics and anti-parasite drugs. The residues of these agro-chemicals, if not managed properly, could leak into the environment, affecting natural processes, biodiversity, and soil life. Public health can also be affected due to residues in milk and meat, especially in countries with insufficient food quality controls. These processes contribute to the growing global threat to human and animal health posed by multi-resistant microbes.
This article discusses the differences and similarities of dairy farming, and the effect on public and environmental health, between the Netherlands, India, Ethiopia, and Uganda, emphasizing the strategies that have been developed during the E-Motive exchange project to reduce the use of antibiotics and other chemicals in dairy farming.
Article in Frontiers in Public Health by Maria Groot en Katrien van 't Hooft
Great interest for NLF Antibiotic reduction strategy at World Bank
This week Katrien van’t Hooft, director of Dutch Farm Experience, presented the experience of the Natural Livestock Farming network related to the strategy developed to reduce antibiotics in dairy farming in two World Bank meetings.
How to reduce antibiotics in dairy farming?
On invitation of Steven Jaffee, Lead Agriculture Economist and Global Lead, Food Quality Global Solutions Group (GSG), the first presentation was on February 19 during a session on Food Safety during the yearly WB Agricultural Global Practice Forum. During this session the WB agricultural and human health specialists exchanged views with emphasis on Nutrition. The Natural Livestock Farming 5-layer integrated strategy to reduce antibiotic use in dairy farming was welcomed as a new and innovative approach to improve food quality. Meanwhile, it became clear that, although nutrition and safe food are gaining importance on the WB agenda, the emphasis on residues in food is still very limited.
On February 22 a special session on Dutch Farm Experience and Reducing Antibiotic Use in Dairy Farming at World Bank offices, organized by Agricultural Global Practice – and supported by SecureNutrition Knowledge Platform was well attended. World bank officials from Agricultural and Health departments, and seven other institutes, including USDA, IFC, Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI) showed great interest in the film Green Antibiotics followed by the presentation Promoting Milk Quality and Productivity through Natural Livestock Farming.
During the events the intense discussions included topics like: importance of consumer awareness and pricing of residue-free milk, role of government regulations, ways to validate effects and safety of medicinal plants, the effects of antibiotic reduction on animal productivity, and the side-effects of the worldwide tendency to crossbreed local cattle with Holstein-Friesian semen for increased productivity.
There was general support for the integrated NLF approach, the potential of combining different knowledge domains to solve the problem of multi-resistant microbes, as well as the need to adapt education of veterinarians to the challenge of AMR and reduction of the use of antibiotics and other chemicals in dairy farming.
Ruminants and methane: not the fault of the animals
Cattle and sheep are blamed for contributing to greenhouse gases, belching out methane, and farmers in the future are likely to be taxed because of it.
The recent Green Left Weekly climate change liftout
[issue #1078] calls for a drastic reduction in sheep and cattle numbers. There is a TV advertisement, urging people to “go vego to save the planet”. This is a gross misunderstanding of the ruminant carbon cycle. See article in Australian Green Left Weekly: Green Left Daily
Review on Antimicrobial Resistance
See paper published by the independent Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), in which they consider the impact of antibiotic use in animals, particularly the agricultural sector, as well as the release of antimicrobials and resistant bacteria into the environment from animal use, human use and manufacturing plants.
Drugs make bugs
Did you know that superbugs -- dangerous bacteria resistant to antibiotics -- are spreading from farms and into our communities? When antibiotics are used day after day to raise animals, drug resistant bacteria flourish, making antibiotics less effective for people. Take a look at a day in the life of this pig to learn why this is happening on industrial farms around the country.
Agroecology Case Study: Reviving the Ankole Longhorns of Uganda
Ankole Longhorn cattle can survive in extremely harsh, dry conditions such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa – which is becoming drier and hotter. In a context where herders are strongly encouraged to keep exotic and hybrid cattle, the innovative LIFE approach led Ugandan herders to revalue the Longhorns for their economic and cultural value.
Read the whole case study: Reviving-the-Ankole-Longhorns-of-Uganda
This case study is adapted from an article published by ILEIA in Farming Matters magazine, www.farmingmatters.org.
For more information visit www.pastoralpeoples.org or www.penhanetwork.org
Natural Livestock Farming India platform launched
The India donor and knowledge holders meeting
This meeting was held at TransDisciplinary University (TDU) in Bangalore. The participants represented dairy cooperatives such as KMF and MILMA, NGOs such as Oxfam India and Solidaridad, researchers from various universities and policy makers a.o. from Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi. The participants stressed the need for cooperation to advance Natural Livestock Farming in India and the urgent need to reduce antibiotic use in dairy farming.
The meeting was organized by the Centre of Expertise on Natural Livestock Farming from the Netherlands and TDU from India to explore the contribution of Ayurveda and natural livestock farming to One Health. One Health has emerged over the last decade as a key concept guiding international research and policy in the field of emerging infectious diseases such as zoonoses. In its simplest form, One Health refers to integrated approaches as a means to improve human, animal and environmental health. This aligns well with Ayurveda and local health traditions that inspire ethnoveterinary medicine to prevent and cure animal diseases.
One Health
In his keynote speech, dr Unnikrishnan from United Nations University (UNU) shared principles of Ayurveda in the context of One Health. He stated that the Ayurvedic view on ‘One Health’ is based on the holistic perspective of co-evolution and interconnectedness in health and wellbeing between humans, animals and the environment. There are several reasons for the increase of anti-microbial resistance in humans, among them the largely uncontrolled use and sale of antibiotics for animal production. Combined with insufficient quality controls, antibiotics are leading to residues in milk and milk products. It was acknowledged that awareness on anti-microbial resistance is low among the general public. There is a need for more awareness raising and Indian policy makers have to take action to control use and sale of antibiotics for use in dairy farming. The 5-layer strategy of natural livestock farming - improved animal management, strategic use of local breeds, use of medicinal plants, milk quality control and extra payment - was seen as an important to produce safe milk.
Due to the experience and network within both human- and animal health, TDU as an organization is well placed to play a central role as One Health Center within the Indian context.
Indian Platform
The Indian platform will exchange experiences on natural livestock farming and explore links between animal, human and ecosystem health. The meeting agreed to explore the possibility for a Dutch-Indian One Health conference in 2016 at TDU in Bangalore, on natural livestock farming and One Health. A plea was made to continue the Dutch-Indian exchange program of farmers, veterinarians and researchers.
Milk from State contains least quantity of antibiotic residue, says study
Last Saturday the Indian Donor and Knowledge Holders Meeting, sponsored by Natural Livestock Farming took place in Bangalore.
The main purpose of the meeting was to crate an Indian Knowledge Application Platform for NLF. The mission was to achieve "One Health" (human, livestock and environment) based on natural products and holistic knowledge.
See also article in Indian Newspaper: "Milk from State contains least quantity of antibiotic residue, says study"