One Welfare: an innovative approach to resilient livestock farming

Contribute to the resilience of livestock systems, with a focus on "One Welfare", by implementing good practices for cattle and sheep based on animal welfare principles.

Context of the story

Increasing sustainable livestock production is a challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) because of greater quality requirements, including traceability, food security, health, animal welfare, fair trade and low environmental impact. “One welfare” concept emphasizes interdependence of health, human, animal and ecosystem welfare. Argentina, Chile and Colombia are facing an adverse climate scenario to which both intensive and extensive livestock systems are vulnerable; thus the importance of increasing resilience under a "One Welfare" framework.

Strengthening the co-participatory capacity of livestock-raising communities to implement the GLP-AW and disseminate the results of their adoption.

The implemented initiative

The aim of this proposal is to contribute with livestock system resilience, focusing on “One Welfare” implemented by good livestock practices (GLP-AW) for cattle and sheep. Our specific objectives are: i) To strengthen the collaborative capacity of livestock communities in six ecoregions in Argentina, Chile and Colombia; ii) To implement BPGs- BA tools in nutrition, health, environment and human- animal interaction domains in demonstrative and experimental units (DEU) by co- innovation; iii) To disseminate and to communicate results to facilitate its adoption and reinforce knowledge networks and alliances among local and international agencies.

To develop and to validate through a co- innovation regional platform that values technology of process implemented together with farmers to increase production rates and to improve livestock system resilience in each country.

The technological solution

The co-innovative regional platform offers an Innovation Technology (IT) package associated with Good Livestock Practices based in Animal Welfare (GLPs- AW). These include training courses and workshops, audiovisual and written communication issues validated by a transdisciplinary group for cattle and sheep production which need to implement sustainable practices. Beneficiaries will be associated organizations, farmers organizations, colleagues, technical consultants and other members of the cattle and sheep sector. Distribution and communication channels will include partner’s websites, FONTAGRO and social networks. Demonstrative and Experimental Units (DEU) will be direct contacts and distribution points and will act as replicators. Key activities will contain co- partnership workshops to validate Innovation Technology associated with Good Livestock Practices based in Animal Welfare (GLPs- AW) DEU implementation and training change agents.

"There will be increasing demand from consumers for the avoidance of adverse effects on human welfare, animal welfare, the environment, fair trade and maintaining the viability of human communities".

Donald M. Broom, 2010

Participating countries

Type of project

Agronomic Practices

Results

In the first year, it is expected to establish a baseline of Innovation Technologies (IT) knowledge associated with Good Livestock Practices based on Animal Welfare (GLP- AW) in each region and country. At the end of the project, at least 100 farmers in Argentina, Chile and Colombia are expected to implement GLP-AW ITs, from infrastructure adaptation, implementation of sanitary plans and animal welfare assessment for decision making. At the end of the project, farmers of the Demonstrative and Experimental Units (DEUs) will be applying the GLP-AW TIs, reducing mortality and morbidity losses, production costs, improving product quality, mitigating climate change and increasing the resilience of their farms. In addition, 700 families will be trained in GLP-AW ITs, via close DEUs as a reference. It is estimated that approximatedly 350,000 people dedicated to livestock production will be informed about One Welfare concept.