According to Professor Nguyen Thi Lan, livestock farming plays a vital role in food security, food supply, rural livelihoods, economic development, and social welfare. However, the livestock industry today faces intertwined challenges: climate change and pressure on resources; environmental degradation; animal diseases and the risk of antibiotic resistance; market fluctuations; and the increasingly high demands of society for food quality, safety, traceability, and especially high demands for animal welfare.
These challenges cannot be solved by single scientific , technological, and engineering advances, nor by the efforts of a single nation alone. They require a holistic, multidisciplinary approach, close cooperation, and joint action from countries in the region and around the world, towards a sustainable, responsible, climate-resilient livestock industry that ensures One Health.
Professor Nguyen Thi Lan, Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture, argues that sustainable transformation of the livestock industry is impossible if small-scale livestock farmers are left behind.
"The question is how to make livestock farming both economically valuable and improve the quality of human life, protect animal health and welfare, and preserve the ecosystem for future generations? In my opinion, sustainable livestock transformation first and foremost means transforming the development mindset: from focusing on production to efficiency and value; from individual solutions to integrated management of the entire chain; from dealing with consequences to proactively preventing risks; and from innovation in the laboratory to innovation that brings real benefits to farmers, the community, and society," emphasized Professor Nguyen Thi Lan.
The Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture believes that the core spirit of sustainable livestock farming can be expressed through three main goals: for humans, for animals, and for the environment. To realize these goals, we need to simultaneously strengthen four pillars:
Economic pillars: Creating value, productivity, efficiency, competitiveness, profitability, and sustainable development for livestock businesses.
Social pillar: Equity, inclusiveness, participation, and equal access to knowledge, services, resources, and markets for all stakeholders in the livestock value chain.
Environmental pillars: Efficient resource use, low emissions, climate change adaptation, and responsible environmental management.
Animal Pillars: Animal health, animal welfare, biodiversity, and the responsible use of animal genetic resources.
Professor Nguyen Thi Lan also outlined five solutions for building a sustainable livestock industry:
Firstly, we must base our efforts on improving growth quality on the science of breeding, nutrition, and indigenous resources. We need to conserve and sustainably utilize indigenous livestock breeds and genetic resources adapted to local conditions; and at the same time, apply evidence-based breeding advancements to improve productivity, quality, health, and resistance.
Alongside this is the development of sustainable feed sources, the efficient utilization of agricultural by-products, biomass, local raw materials, and advanced feeding solutions. Every step forward in breeds and feed needs to be evaluated not only by productivity but also by resource efficiency and environmental impact.
Secondly, animal health and welfare must be placed in an inseparable relationship with human health and the environment. The One Health approach requires close collaboration between livestock, veterinary, public health , and environmental science. From biosecurity, disease surveillance and prevention to responsible antibiotic use, antimicrobial resistance control, and food safety, we need an interdisciplinary and proactive approach.
"Animal welfare must be considered throughout the entire process of breeding, raising, transporting, and slaughtering, not just at a single stage," Professor Nguyen Thi Lan emphasized.
Third, promote low-emission livestock farming that is climate-resilient and circular in nature. Waste management needs to shift from a treatment mindset to a resource recovery mindset: nutrient recycling, bioenergy production, rational integration of crop and livestock farming, and efficient use of land, water, and other resources. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing resource losses, and increasing resilience to climate change must become concrete goals in technology, production models, and farm management.
Fourth, promote innovation and digital transformation across the entire value chain. Digital technology, automation, data-driven management, smart farming systems, and traceability are only truly meaningful when they help improve production decisions, reduce costs, control risks, and increase consumer confidence. Simultaneously, it is necessary to build transparent and responsible value chains that connect producers with processing, distribution, and markets. In particular, technology must be accessible and applicable in practice, not becoming an advantage reserved only for businesses with large resources.
Fifth, consider people, institutions, and cooperation as critical conditions for transformation. Small-scale farmers, cooperatives, women, youth, and rural communities must have equal opportunities to access knowledge, technology, finance, veterinary services, and markets. Support policies, investment mechanisms, and governance systems need to create incentives for businesses, research institutions, universities, and farmers to participate. Regional and international cooperation needs to go beyond exchanging experiences, towards joint research programs, data sharing, technology transfer, human resource training, and scaling up proven models.
"These five directions are closely interconnected. Low-emission livestock farming is impossible without technological innovation in feed, breeding, and waste management; safe products are impossible without disease control and traceability; and successful transformation is impossible if small-scale farmers are left behind," said Professor Nguyen Thi Lan.
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