Cargill-led consortium will combat antimicrobial resistance and disease spread

The United States Agency for International Development has tapped a consortium, led by Cargill, to find ways to improve livestock management and combat the threat of zoonotic diseases to human and animal health.

In addition to Cargill, the consortium includes Ausvet, Heifer International and the International Poultry Council.

The five-year, $33 million farm-based initiative will prioritize efforts in Asia and Africa to significantly decrease the risk of antimicrobial resistance and zoonoses. It will also consider transboundary animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever.

Smallholder farms around the world are particularly vulnerable to transboundary animal diseases, with livestock representing their main source of food and income, and access to veterinary services often limited, according to the announcement.

The project will work in several key geographies on large and small farms, with a variety of species. Beginning next year, Cargill will conduct nutrition and immune health trials on dairy, poultry, shrimp and swine operations in four countries throughout Africa and Asia to better understand and quantify the role holistic animal nutrition can play in reducing the threats of zoonotic diseases to human health.