Digital technologies and implications for Veterinary Services

Digital technologies and implications for Veterinary Services

Reference – Dr Shraddha Sinha
Department of Veterinary Medicine

College of Veterinary Science Anjora, Durg

Objectives- Transformation of the livestock sector by Technological advances   and innovation

Introduction

• By 2050, the world’s population will be around 9.8 billion people, and food production will have to increase by 70% to cover the additional dietary needs.
• The livestock sector will be called upon to satisfy the increasing world consumption of animal-source food through sustainable animal production in ways that promote food security, poverty reduction, public health and food
• To address the new challenges an increasing population poses, and to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), technological advances and innovation will have to play a critical role in transforming the food and agriculture
• In the face of these challenges, Veterinary Services are more essential than ever to improve livestock health and productivity, ensure high food quality that meet safety standards, and to reduce animal diseases and public health risks across the human–animal–environment continuum.
• In addition, Veterinary Services are required to contribute solutions to global challenges related to food security, global health, antimicrobial resistance, climate change and shrinking natural resources.
• Science and technological advances have been major drivers of change in the livestock farming and animal health industry over the last century.
• As they have become integrated into farming practices and animal husbandry, livestock technologies and processes, such as breed selection, feeding and milking automation as well as modern housing and environment management have led to the intensification of farming systems and production of more food for the growing population.
• Advances in animal health biotechnologies such as vaccines, antimicrobials and diagnostic tools have been fundamental in supporting the intensification of farming systems and the growth of the livestock sector by reducing the burden of diseases and increasing the standards of animal health, welfare and product quality.
• Today, the exponential growth is underpinned by rapidly advancing technologies and innovations in various forms including cutting-edge biotechnologies, nutritional technologies, digital technologies and more.
• Digital technology, one of the fastest evolving technologies, is heavily changing the way people live in the modern society and has gained intense attention in the recent years as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)
• This revolution is driving disruptive digital technologies and innovations that are transforming almost every sector, and the food and agriculture sector is not exempt from this process.
• The technologies contributing to these developments include mobile applications, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain and many other such advancements.
• The deployment and use of these technologies in agriculture offer new ways and opportunities for better agricultural and livestock policies and practices leading to more sustainable and resilient food systems
• As a subsector of agriculture, animal health plays a key role in this process and Veterinary Services have the responsibility not only to take part in this technological revolution but also to reassess the veterinary system organisation and ensure appropriate application of new digital technologies for policymaking, decision-making and planning
• In line with its strategy to shape the global governance of animal health and guide the Veterinary Services towards better resilience, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) conducted a survey on the external factors that have the potential to impact Veterinary Services over the next ten years and the adaptations required to contribute to sustainable development.
• Amongst the most relevant 17 external factors identified by experts and stakeholders, the use of big data analytics and other advanced technologies is likely to increase and therefore Veterinary Services should be prepared to respond to this trend
• In the livestock and animal health sector, big data applications are gaining momentum as digital technologies, such as wearable technologies and sensors, satellite data systems and mobile technologies, are generating large volumes of data to support data-driven farming and animal health monitoring.
• For example, big data applications are increasingly being used in veterinary care and large-scale livestock operations where digitalisation and automated systems excel in collating and processing large volume of data to monitor animal health, supporting early detection of animal disease, and preventing adverse health impacts
• While big data presents opportunities across many industries including animal health, the increasing availability and use of data to create value also represent important challenges and issues that need to be addressed before big data technology can become a widespread reality
• Blockchain is an emerging and promising digital technology that has gained significant attention among diverse business sectors in recent years.
• In the simplest terms, a blockchain consists of a linked chain to gather, store, share and track information through a network of public or private computers called nodes. Data is kept in the form of encrypted dataset bases distributed among all participants of the network without the need for a centralised control.
• The blockchain allows data to be recorded with real-time updates across the network in a way that is designed to be transparent, efficient, unalterable and secure
• In the case of livestock and veterinary sectors, blockchain adoption is still in its infancy. However, blockchain-based systems can be potentially applied for traceability of livestock, and animal product supply chains, as well as for efficient management of various input supply chains such as animal feed, veterinary drugs, diagnostic kits and vaccines, especially those that require a cold chain. Table II shows an example of an integrated animal product supply chain that can be managed through a blockchain application.
• The blockchain technology also has the potential to improve the implementation and monitoring by Veterinary Services of technical requirements under trade agreements and to verify and enforce compliance with international animal health standards , as well as to scale up the use and implementation of electronic veterinary certification systems.
• All these applications offer tremendous opportunities for use of blockchain technology in the animal health sector. However, wide adoption by Veterinary Services particularly in developing countries may not happen in the near future.
• In addition, digital technology may be part of the solution to overcome the impact of global trends such as population growth, changing land use and climate change on global food systems, interactions among humans, wildlife and domestic animals, and global health threats
• The use of data-driven technologies is going to continue to change production sectors and industries and the animal health sector is no exception.
• The potential benefits of integrating new digital technologies in animal health are convincing and will likely unlock new models that make national Veterinary Services more efficacious and efficient for meeting the required standards for animal welfare and health practices.
• The question remains whether Veterinary Services will be able to capture the opportunities and adapt to the rapid digital change
• As such, the ongoing digital transformation and its challenges will have important implications for the Veterinary Services, which must be considered from the perspectives of technology users, policy-makers, regulators, partners and other stakeholders.
• In a world of rapidly evolving technologies and options, the Veterinary Services need to keep up with technological advancements to be able to provide the necessary policy advice and technical expertise to the beneficiaries.
• As such, the demand for digital skills is expected to rise in the future within all stakeholder groups of the animal health sector. Introduction of ICTs in formal veterinary education is becoming reality, not only in developed but also in developing countries
• This trend should be reinforced and sustained with the introduction of specific technology related skills in the curriculum to ensure a minimum understanding of how new and advanced digital technologies work, along with soft skills such as teamwork, problem-solving critical thinking which are also integral to the uptake and implementation of disruptive technologies in the workplace.
• In addition, Veterinary Services will have to adapt their technical competence as well as optimise resources and services through institutionalisation of interprofessional and multidisciplinary collaboration to formulate, validate and scale up relevant technologies and promote their adoption across the sector.

Conclusions

• The world is changing at a fast pace with the emergence of an array of cutting-edge digital technologies, offering great potential to improve food production to feed the growing population, promote more environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, and maintain high-quality sanitary standards. Digital technologies are transforming the agriculture and livestock sector including animal health and welfare.
• And this transformation is expected to continue in the years to come with far-reaching impacts on the veterinary sector both in developed and developing countries. Preparing the current and future veterinary workforce to stay up to date and at the centre of digital innovation in animal health should be a driving force for the future of Veterinary Services.

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