World Bank officials learn about Natural Livestock Farming
A group of 11 World Bank officials working on food safety visited the organic Remeker farm in Lunteren, the Netherlands on Tuesday 10 November 2015. The group is visiting the Netherlands as part of a first ‘Learning journey on food safety’. The aim of the learning journey is to get state of-the-art insights from science and practice, have discussions with policy makers, interact with companies, visit stakeholder organizations and authorities involved in managing food safety in the Netherlands.
The exchange with the Centre for Natural Livestock Farming started with a presentation by Dr. Katrien van Hooft after which the visitors discussed in small groups with three Dutch dairy farmers, two veterinary doctors and two knowledge institutions (VKON and BIO-KI)
The discussions focused on the E-Motive exchange programme with India and Africa, on sustainable dairy farming in Netherlands, and particularly around reduced used of antibiotics, including the One Health agenda, in the Netherlands.
The visitors were eager to learn how the Dutch government and private sector have been working together to reduce the sales of antibiotics. Awareness raising among Dutch dairy farmers led to farmers completely stopping the use of 3rd generation antibiotics in 2 years time (2010-2012).
There is now more openness among policy makers and practitioners to look for alternative solutions, including medicinal plants. Based on this experience, the urge was indicated to the World Bank officials that they could also develop policies in their countries to stop using 3rd generation antibiotics in livestock farming and safe them for future healing situations in case of urgency.
During the farm tour, Jan Dirk van der Voort explained his philosophy of closed-cycle dairy farming with Jersey cows. Remeker farm is a business model that allows 7 households to earn an income from 90 cows. The award-winning organic cheeses are of high quality. Whereas the Remeker farm was already for a longer period working organic, only when they stopped using antibiotics 12 years ago, the fertile soil- rich feed – healthy cow - quality cheese – happy consumer chain became more in balance.
Discussions are now to explore how the WorldBank head office and respective countries can link with the lead countries in the Natural Livestock Association, i.e. Netherlands, India, Ethiopia and Uganda. To be continued!
Report from CDDEP on antibiotics
Please read the report "The state of the world's antibiotics 2015" from CDDEP.
BIFAD 2015 AWARD for Dr. Getachew Gebru Tegegn
The Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) honored Dr. Getachew Gebru Tegegn, our Ethiopian partner in the E-Motive Exchange project, for his meritorious contributions to the "PARIMA Pastoral Women's Collective Action Project in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Getachew received the BIFAD 2015 Award for scientific excellence at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
View on Dutch Organic Dairy sector
As requested on the evaluation day at 4th October of the India/Uganda/Ethiopia/Dutch exchange in the Netherlands, more background information on organic dairy farming in the Netherlands so far. Hereby just a start. This document include an outline of the Dutch production situation, both organic and conventional, Dutch legislations and opportunities for conversion to organic farming, an overview of the Dutch dairy processing and the processing chain and shows some marketing points.
An overview of the different approaches of various organic farmers will follow later.
Hopefully this is valid and valuable information for you. If there are any suggestions or feedback, please contact me.
Download document: Organic Dairy in the Netherlands
By Lilian Raeijmaeckers
International Association Natural Livestock Farming launched!
During a vibrant international event in the city council hall of the province of Overijssel in Zwolle, the Dutch platform 'Natuurlijke Veehouderij' and the international association for Natural Livestock Farming was launched on 1 October 2015.
Farmers, veterinarians and dairy experts from India, Uganda, Ethiopia and Netherlands work together to minimize the use of antibiotics and other chemicals in dairy farming. A broad range of practical solutions were shared and discussed during the launching event, see https://www.naturallivestockfarming.com/initiatives. Natural livestock farming can be achieved through a four layered strategy:
- Improve animal and farm management, adapt the animals and farm to local ecosystems and circumstances and keep resilient breeds.
- Use ethno-veterinary practices including medicinal plants to treat sick animals.
- Ensure effective milk quality control.
- Arrange for extra payment for milk and dairy products that are high quality and residue free.
Some 175 people from more then 10 countries participated in the symposium and agreed that natural livestock farming is possible if we are able and willing to combine different expertise in dairy from India, Africa and the Netherlands.
For more information:
- Report on the test with herbal recipee from India to treat high celcount: https://www.naturallivestockfarming.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RIKILT-Rapport-2015-Ayurvediusche-kruiden-bij-Hollandse-Koeproblemen1.pdf
- Link to trial with herbal recipee for treating calf diarrhea https://www.naturallivestockfarming.com/portfolio/on-farm-research-with-herbal-remedies/
- A trailer on the exchange visit between Dutch and Oegandan dairy farmers on milk dilemma in Africa: https://youtu.be/IeefphxLz4s
- Dutch platform Natuurlijke Veehouderij is initiatied by WUR-RIKILT, Nederlands Vereniging Fytotherapie, Dutch Farm Experience, Louis Bolk and Veterinair Kenniscentrum Oost Nederland. The website http://www.natuurlijkeveehouderij.nl will soon be online.
POLICYBRIEF: The transition to Natural Dairy Farming
Towards milk production with minimal use of antibiotics and other chemicals
With the increasing intensification of dairy farming worldwide, the use of antibiotics and other chemicals is growing. In this process the effect of excessive antibiotic use, in the form of Antibiotic/Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), is causing international alarm. Antibiotic resistant microorganisms are causing human deaths, as well as other burdens on human health, animal health and the environment.
This policy brief aims to provide practical solutions that address the growing use of antibiotics and other chemicals in dairy farming worldwide. The solutions provided build on the E-Motive exchange program between veterinarians, farmers and researchers in four countries: the Netherlands, India, Ethiopia and Uganda, organized in the Natural Livestock Farming network. The practical solutions provided can contribute to the action plans of local, national and international institutions such as World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agricultural Organization(FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), as well as the One Health initiatives, to curb the global threat of anti-microbial resistance.
International symposium: Green solutions for reducing antibiotics
Green solutions for reducing antibiotics
International collaboration to promote the use, validation and marketing of herbal products in dairy farming
This symposium will highlight the current state of knowledge on the use of herbal products, as well as other green solutions, to reduce antibiotic use in dairy farming in the Netherlands, India, Ethiopia and Uganda. It is the follow-up of the international symposium Cows and Herbs celebrated in Zwolle, on 23 of October, 2014.
For more information about this symposium on reducing antibiotics, click here
Herbs oust antibiotics
Because of restrictions on the use of antibiotics, livestock farmers are increasingly resorting to herbal remedies, bacterial drinks and other natural products to make and keep their animals healthy. Although there might not always be hard medical evidence, farmers sometimes get spectacular results from natural remedies.
Please read this article in Wageningen World.
More balance, less antibiotics - India exchange visit 2015
Last Wednesday, 23 April 2015, a mixed delegation of Ethiopians, Ugandan and Dutch livestock professionals went to India in addition to the Exchange visit from a Dutch delegation to Africa in March. This visit, which is part of the E-motive program, is sequential to the exchange between India and the Netherlands last year, enhanced by some African partners. For more information on the exchange: http://emotiveprogram.org/blog/projects/antibiotics-reduction/
Also this time an inspiring delegation participates in the program consisting of several veterinarians, farmers, professors, a representative of a farmer union, professors and other cattle specialists. Additionally, two social researchers from Kaleidos Research contributes to the program by monitoring and evaluating the learning process.
During this ten days visit the delegation stays at the TDU – Transdisciplinary University in Bangalore, which is the location of the I-AIM Healthcare Centre as well. The aim of this institute is to give a place to the old, traditional remedies and knowledge within modern healthcare. In those institutes information of a breath-taking amount medicinal plants and related treatments according to the Ayurvedic principls already has been digitally documented as well as a comprehensive herbarium.
The Dutch delegation is, due to the demand of antibiotic reduction, highly interested in this vision and searching for a more natural way to treat livestock. Dr. Shankar gave an inspiring introduction on the holistic vision including both human and animals: similar to the one health principles. As Dr. Shankar said: “The very roots of modernity lies in tradition”, since chemicals will affect human health, livestock and environment; where management is a very important part of working with livestock.
To get an impression and understanding on the Indian way of livestock sector, numerous parts of the production chain are visited during this ten days. To begin the delegation went to different type of farmers: some local, small holder farmers and a farm which is producing natural fertilizer and natural pesticides from cow urine. This last farm is holding indigenous breeds to preserve those cattle varieties. On the second day in India, Kolar Chikkaballapura Milk Union was visited; this cooperation receives milk from 2919 villages on two districts. In total they have 278 212 members. All members are small holder farmers, which means the farmer holds 1 to 3 cows per farm. On Monday the group travelled to Chennai, where several official meetings were organized to discuss the essentials of this program with members of TANUVAS University: Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. Other interesting excursions include the veterinary clinic and laboratories of TANUVAS, Karnataka Milk Federation and MILMA - Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.
In Kochi, located at the West-Coast of India, a small symposium was organized on Tuesday. To finish up with the exchange visit another two day symposium will be organized at the end of the visit.
In September the Indian delegation will come to the Netherlands for the next part of the exchange.