Ottawa-A growing world population will require more food from livestock and aquaculture farming in the coming years and production practices must evolve to keep the sector sustainable, says the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

To deal with concerns about livestock production and maintain the value of the sector, WOAH said in a report that animal health and welfare must be cornerstones of sustainable animal farming.

Livestock production has deep roots in agriculture and aquaculture provides more than half of the world’s animal sourced protein, WOAH said. However, they face concerns and criticisms about their impact on greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation, wildlife populations, animal welfare and global health.

Although livestock production contributes significantly to the economic sustainability of many countries and regions, it faces increased scrutiny over environmental degradation and growing societal and consumer concerns about animal rearing conditions.

There are also health implications, primarily, the misuse and sometimes overuse of antimicrobials in animals and the potential transmission of diseases to humans, wildlife and other domestic animal populations, WOAH said.

Still, it is estimated “that 20 per cent more animal protein will be needed to feed the world’s growing population by 2050. Meeting this demand will require an increase in supply from terrestrial and aquatic livestock, in particular in low- and middle-income countries.”

To make this possible, the livestock and aquaculture sectors “must collectively improve their capacity to anticipate, prevent and control the spread of animal diseases to secure the required level of animal protein production.

“This is a challenge in the context of climate change, which is driving seasonal variations and evolutions in the epidemiology and distribution of many diseases, particularly vector-borne diseases, such as bluetongue, lumpy skin disease and others that are influenced by seasonal migration: avian influenza is a case in point. In aquatic environments, even small changes, such as rising water temperatures, can influence the development of disease.”

Improved animal health has direct benefits for farmers, WOAH said. It reduces animal losses, preserves farm capital and allows for investment in improved farming conditions and technological innovation. It also reduces the environmental impact of livestock farming, regardless of a country’s income level.

“For example, it has been shown that reducing the prevalence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in pigs from 60 to 10 per cent could reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 22 per cent while reducing the prevalence of foot and mouth disease in beef cattle from 45 to 5 per cent could reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 9.11 per cent.”

Worldwide, 1.7 billion people depend directly on livestock for their livelihoods and 70 per cent of those employed in the livestock sector are women. Furthermore, 800 million people depend on small-scale fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods and 50 per cent of workers in the aquatic sector are women. Women often own small ruminants or poultry, and sometimes fishponds, which are easier to acquire than other physical and financial assets.

Access to efficient, cost-effective and equitable animal health management services and practices is vital, WOAH said. “Compliance with animal health and welfare regulations and standards is crucial to ensure fair trade practices and reduce unnecessary barriers.”

Improved farmed animal health management is an integral part of the One Health approach that aims to optimize human, animal, and environmental health.

“Not only does investing in animal health and welfare through disease prevention measures such as vaccination and biosecurity help prevent disease outbreaks that can destroy animal populations, but it reduces the risk of zoonotic diseases and public health crises, and thus the need to use antimicrobials.”

This news report was prepared for National Newswatch.