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Schulze Walgern A, Hecker O, Walther B, Boelhauve M, Mergenthaler M. Farmers' Attitudes in Connection with the Potential for Rodent Prevention in Livestock Farming in a Municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3809. [PMID: 38136846 PMCID: PMC10740830 DOI: 10.3390/ani13243809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents in livestock farming constitute a threat to the one health approach. In the present observational case study, livestock farmers worked together with a pest controller within a pilot project. The aim of the study was to assess determinants associated with rodent-prevention potential. The study started in March 2019 on 24 livestock farms in a municipality in North Rhine-Westphalia/Germany. At the beginning of the project a survey on the determinants expected to be related to prevention potential was conducted. To determine the potential for rodent prevention, an expert person, who was not involved in the project before, assessed the on-site conditions of the farms after 1.5 years of project duration in 2020. The potential for rodent prevention was good for about half of the farms. There were significant differences in the willingness to make changes at the project's start between farms with a high and a low potential for rodent prevention after 1.5 years. There is a general need for action to provide farmers with more practical information on rodent control. This is aggravated by the insufficient advisory services offered to farmers. This study confirms the importance of implementing preventive measures in the control of rodents to ensure that anticoagulant rodenticides are handled responsibly to reduce the impact on non-target species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schulze Walgern
- Department of Agriculture, South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, 59494 Soest, Germany
| | - Odile Hecker
- Department of Agriculture, South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, 59494 Soest, Germany
| | - Bernd Walther
- Department of Agriculture, South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, 59494 Soest, Germany
- Institute for Plant Protection in Horticulture and Forests, Vertebrate Research, Julius Kühn-Institute, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, Germany
| | - Marc Boelhauve
- Department of Agriculture, South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, 59494 Soest, Germany
| | - Marcus Mergenthaler
- Department of Agriculture, South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, 59494 Soest, Germany
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2
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Zhou H, Chung S, Kakar JK, Kim SC, Kim H. Pig Movement Estimation by Integrating Optical Flow with a Multi-Object Tracking Model. Sensors (Basel) 2023; 23:9499. [PMID: 38067875 PMCID: PMC10708576 DOI: 10.3390/s23239499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Pig husbandry constitutes a significant segment within the broader framework of livestock farming, with porcine well-being emerging as a paramount concern due to its direct implications on pig breeding and production. An easily observable proxy for assessing the health of pigs lies in their daily patterns of movement. The daily movement patterns of pigs can be used as an indicator of their health, in which more active pigs are usually healthier than those who are not active, providing farmers with knowledge of identifying pigs' health state before they become sick or their condition becomes life-threatening. However, the conventional means of estimating pig mobility largely rely on manual observations by farmers, which is impractical in the context of contemporary centralized and extensive pig farming operations. In response to these challenges, multi-object tracking and pig behavior methods are adopted to monitor pig health and welfare closely. Regrettably, these existing methods frequently fall short of providing precise and quantified measurements of movement distance, thereby yielding a rudimentary metric for assessing pig health. This paper proposes a novel approach that integrates optical flow and a multi-object tracking algorithm to more accurately gauge pig movement based on both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the shortcomings of solely relying on tracking algorithms. The optical flow records accurate movement between two consecutive frames and the multi-object tracking algorithm offers individual tracks for each pig. By combining optical flow and the tracking algorithm, our approach can accurately estimate each pig's movement. Moreover, the incorporation of optical flow affords the capacity to discern partial movements, such as instances where only the pig's head is in motion while the remainder of its body remains stationary. The experimental results show that the proposed method has superiority over the method of solely using tracking results, i.e., bounding boxes. The reason is that the movement calculated based on bounding boxes is easily affected by the size fluctuation while the optical flow data can avoid these drawbacks and even provide more fine-grained motion information. The virtues inherent in the proposed method culminate in the provision of more accurate and comprehensive information, thus enhancing the efficacy of decision-making and management processes within the realm of pig farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhou
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (H.Z.); (J.K.K.)
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Seyeon Chung
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Junaid Khan Kakar
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (H.Z.); (J.K.K.)
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Sang Cheol Kim
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
| | - Hyongsuk Kim
- Core Research Institute of Intelligent Robots, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea; (S.C.); (S.C.K.)
- Department of Electronics Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
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3
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Bhatt A, Abbassi B. Relative sensitivity value (RSV): A metric for measuring input parameter influence in life cycle assessment modeling. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023; 19:547-555. [PMID: 36254872 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a commonly used tool to quantify life cycle environmental footprints of products. Uncertainty in LCA modeling, particularly from uncertainty in production practices (represented through input parameter arguments), can lead to incorrect conclusions and hamper decision-making. Characterization of uncertainty through stochastic means and sensitivity analysis is utilized in a small fraction of LCA case studies, and the majority of studies default to scenario analysis due to its lower barrier to implementation and its results are easier to interpret. In this article, we introduce a sensitivity metric, relative sensitivity value (RSV), which allows LCA practitioners to gauge the relative influence of production practices on life cycle impacts in multiple phases and impact categories. Relative sensitivity value bridges the gap between scenario analysis and global sensitivity analysis, and it allows an LCA practitioner to provide an easy-to-interpret metric for quantifying the degree to which incremental changes in production practices influences the life cycle environmental footprint. We present the methodology used to calculate RSV and provide programming code, which can be readily used by an LCA practitioner to calculate RSV for their LCA model. We demonstrate the usage of RSV through a livestock husbandry LCA case study, in which we show how RSV results may be presented and interpreted, and how conclusions regarding production practices may be drawn. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:547-555. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akul Bhatt
- School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bassim Abbassi
- School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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4
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Wang S, Jiang H, Qiao Y, Jiang S, Lin H, Sun Q. The Research Progress of Vision-Based Artificial Intelligence in Smart Pig Farming. Sensors (Basel) 2022; 22:s22176541. [PMID: 36080994 PMCID: PMC9460267 DOI: 10.3390/s22176541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Pork accounts for an important proportion of livestock products. For pig farming, a lot of manpower, material resources and time are required to monitor pig health and welfare. As the number of pigs in farming increases, the continued use of traditional monitoring methods may cause stress and harm to pigs and farmers and affect pig health and welfare as well as farming economic output. In addition, the application of artificial intelligence has become a core part of smart pig farming. The precision pig farming system uses sensors such as cameras and radio frequency identification to monitor biometric information such as pig sound and pig behavior in real-time and convert them into key indicators of pig health and welfare. By analyzing the key indicators, problems in pig health and welfare can be detected early, and timely intervention and treatment can be provided, which helps to improve the production and economic efficiency of pig farming. This paper studies more than 150 papers on precision pig farming and summarizes and evaluates the application of artificial intelligence technologies to pig detection, tracking, behavior recognition and sound recognition. Finally, we summarize and discuss the opportunities and challenges of precision pig farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunli Wang
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Honghua Jiang
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Yongliang Qiao
- Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR), Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Shuzhen Jiang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Huaiqin Lin
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Qian Sun
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
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5
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Zhang Y, Gong S, Su Y, Yao M, Liu X, Gong Z, Sui H, Luo M. Follicular development in livestock: Influencing factors and underlying mechanisms. Anim Sci J 2021; 92:e13657. [PMID: 34796578 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Livestock farming development has become increasingly important in recent years. It not only provides us with meat nutrition and pet feeding but also increases the economic value by providing numerous employment opportunities, which improves our life quality. The livestock farming development depends on successful animal reproduction. As a vital process in animal reproduction, folliculogenesis and its influencing factors as well as their underlying mechanisms need to be understood thoroughly. This review is aimed at summarizing the factors such as cellular processes, gene regulation, noncoding RNAs and other endocrine or paracrine regulatory factors that affect follicular development, and their underlying mechanisms of action in livestock in order to provide novel insights for future studies. The above factors were found as significant determinants influencing the follicular development in livestock through various signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Jiaxiang County Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau, Jining, China
| | - Shuai Gong
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Yanping Su
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China
| | - Minhua Yao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China
| | - Xiaocui Liu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China
| | - Zhaoqing Gong
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China
| | - Hongshu Sui
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Tai'an, China
| | - Mingjiu Luo
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
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6
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Kessler S, Harder TC, Schwemmle M, Ciminski K. Influenza A Viruses and Zoonotic Events-Are We Creating Our Own Reservoirs? Viruses 2021; 13:v13112250. [PMID: 34835056 PMCID: PMC8624301 DOI: 10.3390/v13112250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic infections of humans with influenza A viruses (IAVs) from animal reservoirs can result in severe disease in individuals and, in rare cases, lead to pandemic outbreaks; this is exemplified by numerous cases of human infection with avian IAVs (AIVs) and the 2009 swine influenza pandemic. In fact, zoonotic transmissions are strongly facilitated by manmade reservoirs that were created through the intensification and industrialization of livestock farming. This can be witnessed by the repeated introduction of IAVs from natural reservoirs of aquatic wild bird metapopulations into swine and poultry, and the accompanied emergence of partially- or fully-adapted human pathogenic viruses. On the other side, human adapted IAV have been (and still are) introduced into livestock by reverse zoonotic transmission. This link to manmade reservoirs was also observed before the 20th century, when horses seemed to have been an important reservoir for IAVs but lost relevance when the populations declined due to increasing industrialization. Therefore, to reduce zoonotic events, it is important to control the spread of IAV within these animal reservoirs, for example with efficient vaccination strategies, but also to critically surveil the different manmade reservoirs to evaluate the emergence of new IAV strains with pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Kessler
- Medical Center, Institute of Virology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.K.); (M.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Timm C. Harder
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Institute of Diagnostic Virology, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany;
| | - Martin Schwemmle
- Medical Center, Institute of Virology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.K.); (M.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Kevin Ciminski
- Medical Center, Institute of Virology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (S.K.); (M.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Correspondence:
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7
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Xia J, Ge C, Yao H. Antimicrobial Peptides from Black Soldier Fly ( Hermetia illucens) as Potential Antimicrobial Factors Representing an Alternative to Antibiotics in Livestock Farming. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071937. [PMID: 34209689 PMCID: PMC8300228 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Microbial resistance to antibiotics is a constant threat to livestock farming, and unreasonable use of antibiotics has increased the prevalence of infectious diseases in humans and animals. Antimicrobial peptides derived from black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), have great potential as alternatives to antibiotics for prophylaxis and treatment of diseases in animals because they have extensive antimicrobial properties and a lower tendency to induce resistance. Additionally, several studies have shown that Hermetia illucens larvae can participate in a circular economy by digesting organic waste alone and then promoting the growth performance of domestic animals fed the larvae. Therefore, antimicrobial peptides from Hermetia illucens are promising candidate for replacement of antibiotics in livestock farming. Abstract Functional antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important class of effector molecules of innate host immune defense against pathogen invasion. Inability of microorganisms to develop resistance against the majority of AMPs has made them alternatives to antibiotics, contributing to the development of a new generation of antimicrobials. Due to extensive biodiversity, insects are one of the most abundant sources of novel AMPs. Notably, black soldier fly insect (BSF; Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)) feeds on decaying substrates and displays a supernormal capacity to survive under adverse conditions in the presence of abundant microorganisms, therefore, BSF is one of the most promising sources for identification of AMPs. However, discovery, functional investigation, and drug development to replace antibiotics with AMPs from Hermetia illucens remain in a preliminary stage. In this review, we provide general information on currently verified AMPs of Hermetia illucens, describe their potential medical value, discuss the mechanism of their synthesis and interactions, and consider the development of bacterial resistance to AMPs in comparison with antibiotics, aiming to provide a candidate for substitution of antibiotics in livestock farming or, to some extent, for blocking the horizontal transfer of resistance genes in the environment, which is beneficial to human and animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xia
- Research Center for Environmental Ecology and Engineering, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073, China;
| | - Chaorong Ge
- Research Center for Environmental Ecology and Engineering, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073, China;
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (H.Y.)
| | - Huaiying Yao
- Research Center for Environmental Ecology and Engineering, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073, China;
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315800, China
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
- Correspondence: (C.G.); (H.Y.)
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8
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Hong TK, Shin DM, Choi J, Do JT, Han SG. Current Issues and Technical Advances in Cultured Meat Production: A Review. Food Sci Anim Resour 2021; 41:355-372. [PMID: 34017947 PMCID: PMC8112310 DOI: 10.5851/kosfa.2021.e14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As the global population grows, we need a stable protein supply to meet the demands. Although plant-derived protein sources are widely available, animal meat maintains its popularity as a high-quality and savory protein source. Recently, cultured meat, also known as in vitro meat, has been suggested as a meat analog produced through in vitro cell culture technology. Cultured meat has several advantages over conventional meat, such as environmental protection, disease prevention, and animal welfare. However, cultured meat manufacturing is an emerging technology; thus, its further and dynamic development would be pivotal. Commercialization of cultured meat to the public will take a long time but cultured meat undoubtedly will come to our table someday. Here, we discuss the social and economic aspects of cultured meat production as well as the recent technical advances in cultured meat technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Kyung Hong
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative
Biotechnology, KU Institute of Science and Technology, Konkuk
University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Dong-Min Shin
- Department of Food Science and
Biotechnology of Animal Resources, Konkuk University,
Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Joonhyuk Choi
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative
Biotechnology, KU Institute of Science and Technology, Konkuk
University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Jeong Tae Do
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative
Biotechnology, KU Institute of Science and Technology, Konkuk
University, Seoul 05029, Korea
| | - Sung Gu Han
- Department of Food Science and
Biotechnology of Animal Resources, Konkuk University,
Seoul 05029, Korea
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Calafat-Marzal C, Gallego-Salguero Á, Segura M, Calvet-Sanz S. GIS-Based and Outranking Approach to Assess Suitable Pig Farming Areas in the Mediterranean Region: Valencian Community. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11041151. [PMID: 33920559 PMCID: PMC8073630 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The livestock sector is the main source of income for the inhabitants of many rural areas, but the environmental problems generated by this industry have led to the emergence of new regulations to make the sector more environmentally friendly. The aim was to identify suitable areas where the livestock sector could be developed, complying with all sectoral standards, and classify the outranking suitable municipalities according to socio-economic, sectoral, and environmental factors. Socio-economic, to make it a key sector for the development of rural areas with depopulation problems; sectoral, to avoid generating health risk; and environmental, to avoid risks of water pollution and degradation of natural and forest areas. The results showed that there was a clear correspondence between the most suitable areas for pig farming and areas with depopulation problems or where rural tourism had not been developed. This information allows the design of public management instruments to prioritise the development of the sector in these areas. Abstract The concentration of livestock production is problematic due to environmental concerns. European regulations are guiding the sector to become increasingly sustainable and, at the same time, maintaining the population in rural areas. The aim was to determine suitable areas in municipalities where livestock is presented as a market option. The methodology applied was based on the combination of multi-criteria methods and geographic information system (GIS) techniques, following three steps: removal of unsuitable zones by sectoral regulations (STEP 1); removal of unsuitable zones due to urban planning, and environmental recommendations (STEP 2); and evaluating the resulting areas depending on the importance of socio-economic, sectoral, and environmental characteristics. This study was based in a Spanish region with ongoing conflicts over land use on the coast but with a high number of rural municipalities at risk of depopulation in the interior. The results showed that 33% of the municipalities of the Valencian Community (VC) had suitable and outranking areas for the development of the swine sector. The 43 municipalities with the highest scores were because of the socio-economic factor and confirmed that suitable livestock development in municipalities with the highest risk of depopulation and low rural tourism activity was a key issue for development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Calafat-Marzal
- Departamento de Economía y Ciencias Sociales, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Áurea Gallego-Salguero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Cartográfica, Geodesia y Fotogrametría, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain;
| | - Marina Segura
- Departamento de Economía Financiera y Actuarial y Estadística, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Salvador Calvet-Sanz
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain;
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10
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Hashem NM, González-Bulnes A, Rodriguez-Morales AJ. Animal Welfare and Livestock Supply Chain Sustainability Under the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Overview. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:582528. [PMID: 33195601 PMCID: PMC7593325 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.582528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) around the end of December 2019, has caused a worldwide public health emergency and a socioeconomic crisis during 2020. The lockdown imposed to cope with the health issues caused by the outbreak of the disease has dramatically challenged and negatively affected all the economic sectors of the modern global economy. Specifically, the livestock sector and its related industries are among the most impacted sectors. This is mainly ascribed to the limitations of animal movement and the decrease of production inputs' availability. Other factors negatively affecting the sustainability of the livestock sector have been the shortage of workers due to the lockdown/curfew, the strong decrease in the purchasing power of the consumer, and the intensification of health care tasks. Such an impact is not only highly relevant because of their economic consequences, but also because of the effects of the lockdown and sanitary rules on animal care and welfare. The current review aims to offer: (a) a comprehensive overview of the impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of farm animals and on the performance of livestock farming systems, on food chain sustainability, and finally, on the global economy and food security; and (b) a prospective outline of alleviation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrein M Hashem
- Department of Animal and Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture (El-Shatby), Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Antonio González-Bulnes
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain.,Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales
- Public Health and Infection Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Tecnologica de Pereira, Pereira, Colombia.,Grupo de Investigacion Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundacion Universitaria Autonoma de las Americas, Pereira, Colombia
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Rechsteiner D, Schrade S, Zähner M, Müller M, Hollender J, Bucheli TD. Occurrence and Fate of Natural Estrogens in Swiss Cattle and Pig Slurry. J Agric Food Chem 2020; 68:5545-5554. [PMID: 32364724 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c00858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Natural estrogens act as endocrine disruptors. However, the fate of livestock farming derived natural estrogens (17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, estrone, and estriol) in slurry is not well understood. In this study, we assessed the effects of on farm-storage on natural estrogen concentrations in slurry. Furthermore, we monitored pig and cattle slurry pits from major agricultural areas in Switzerland and determined natural estrogen concentrations therein. They were relatively stable over time, and mean concentrations ranged from 138 to 861 and 54 to 244 ng/L for cattle and pig slurries, respectively. 17α-Estradiol and estriol were the most prevalent estrogens in cattle and pig slurries, respectively. Based on livestock numbers, agricultural area, and estrogen concentrations in slurry, the estimated annual load of total natural estrogens applied on agricultural area amounted to 36 mg/ha. Our results indicate that slurry application is a relevant source of natural estrogens in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Rechsteiner
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Schrade
- Agroscope, Ruminants Research Unit, 8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Zähner
- Agroscope, Ruminants Research Unit, 8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Müller
- Agroscope, Swiss Soil Monitoring Network, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Hollender
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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Abstract
To satisfy the increasing demand for food by the growing human population, cultured meat (also called in vitro, artificial or lab-grown meat) is presented by its advocates as a good alternative for consumers who want to be more responsible but do not wish to change their diet. This review aims to update the current knowledge on this subject by focusing on recent publications and issues not well described previously. The main conclusion is that no major advances were observed despite many new publications. Indeed, in terms of technical issues, research is still required to optimize cell culture methodology. It is also almost impossible to reproduce the diversity of meats derived from various species, breeds and cuts. Although these are not yet known, we speculated on the potential health benefits and drawbacks of cultured meat. Unlike conventional meat, cultured muscle cells may be safer, without any adjacent digestive organs. On the other hand, with this high level of cell multiplication, some dysregulation is likely as happens in cancer cells. Likewise, the control of its nutritional composition is still unclear, especially for micronutrients and iron. Regarding environmental issues, the potential advantages of cultured meat for greenhouse gas emissions are a matter of controversy, although less land will be used compared to livestock, ruminants in particular. However, more criteria need to be taken into account for a comparison with current meat production. Cultured meat will have to compete with other meat substitutes, especially plant-based alternatives. Consumer acceptance will be strongly influenced by many factors and consumers seem to dislike unnatural food. Ethically, cultured meat aims to use considerably fewer animals than conventional livestock farming. However, some animals will still have to be reared to harvest cells for the production of in vitro meat. Finally, we discussed in this review the nebulous status of cultured meat from a religious point of view. Indeed, religious authorities are still debating the question of whether in vitro meat is Kosher or Halal (e.g., compliant with Jewish or Islamic dietary laws).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-François Hocquette
- INRAE, University of Clermont Auvergne, Vetagro Sup, UMR Herbivores, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
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