Madrid, Sep 4 (EFE) .- Veterinarians specializing in bovine medicine are clear that “cows are not to blame for global warming”, so they see it necessary to “break” with that idea settled in one part of society.
This is how the president of the National Association of Specialists in Bovine Medicine of Spain (Anembe), Joaquín Ranz, explains it in an interview with Efeagro, within the framework of the XXXI World Congress of Buiatrics, which is being held from September 4 to 8 in Madrid.
Buiatrics is the veterinary medical specialty dedicated to bovines and the rest of the ruminants and in this congress, beyond trying to refute this issue regarding cattle, other topics that will be reviewed in this interview will also be addressed.
Q: The emissions of livestock, especially cattle, are usually in the spotlight of a part of society, organizations and even institutions, how will you address this issue at the Madrid meeting?
A: In the congress we will try to break that topic that is a bit questionable. It is necessary to demonstrate how the calculations that the FAO made in its day on methane emissions were not adjusted to reality.
In the pandemic, it became clear that the cows were not to blame because the farms continued to operate, and yet methane levels fell, since emissions were reduced by using less fossil fuels due to less use of transport.
It should also be borne in mind that methane is a gas that, although it accumulates in the atmosphere, degrades, unlike CO2. I do not know to what extent the excessive effort to reduce methane emissions will have a direct impact on global warming.
Q: We are ending a summer that has been especially virulent in terms of fires in rural areas, how can grazing ruminants contribute to minimizing the risks?
A: Although it is not a veterinary issue, it has been included in the congress because we have a special sensitivity to the rural world since we are in daily contact with it.
It is evident that farms with animals are cared for because there are no weeds or stubble that are sensitive to fire, so livestock farming, with its activity, is a natural firewall that prevents fires.
It is not a question of using great resources to clean the forest because that is not very sustainable, it supposes a permanent expense in people cleaning it and with the limited capacity that it has. It is regarding maintaining livestock activity so that, in a natural way, we have it guaranteed and avoid those fires.
Q: Addressing global health under the concept “One Health” is something claimed by the veterinary profession. Since when is it an essential concept for the veterinarian?
A: The veterinary profession has been dealing with public health as the first defensive barrier for a lifetime. Veterinarians deal with this public health from their work in the field, in slaughterhouses or in the agri-food industry, inspecting products of animal origin.
We are not only animal doctors but we also have this public service work. The veterinarian is an inspector and a health guarantee that the food of animal origin that will be consumed is healthy.
As for the concept “One Health”, it is right now the most modern word that indicates how all health professions are interconnected and that it is possible to work in unison.
Q: One of the challenges of “One Health” is the fight once morest antimicrobial resistance. What role is veterinary medicine playing in this challenge?
A: Precisely, at the congress we will see how veterinary antibiotic prescriptions are a reality because we make restricted use of some antibiotics that are also applied to humans. We have antibiotics classified into categories and a series of them are used that are no longer supplied to people and thus resistance is not generated.
Q: How is the health situation of the cattle herd in Spain in terms of tuberculosis and brucellosis?
A: Spain has been working on these two diseases for more than 30 years thanks to livestock sanitation campaigns and we are at a very enviable level.
Tuberculosis rates are very low and as for brucellosis, there are many autonomous communities where it has been eradicated.
Bluetongue and foot-and-mouth diseases are also worrying, although they are not zoonoses, because they are contagious among animals and have an economic impact on the herd. EFE
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