By 2050, the world will be home to almost 10 billion people. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), population growth and rising incomes are leading to greater per capita consumption of animal proteins in developing countries. To feed growing urban populations, global food production will have to increase by 70% and annual protein production by 135% over the same period. This is an enormous challenge, especially as the farming sector is increasingly subject to constraints in terms of environmental protection and animal welfare.

Producing more protein while limiting the impact on water reserves, groundwater pollution, deforestation and antibiotic resistance: this equation means that we need to adapt our farming techniques to focus on prevention, while continuing to treat sick animals. To help farmers anticipate these changes, we are developing solutions that focus on keeping animals healthy or returning them to good health, to ensure high productivity. This approach is in line with the recommendations of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), which estimates that 20% of food production is lost due to farm animals diseases.

Producing animal proteins more ethically means developing farming practices that promote animal welfare (for example, free-range rearing of laying hens) and prevention. At Virbac, we are actively contributing to the adoption of these new practices by proposing a more sustainable approach to rearing techniques.

This is based on three major pillars. First and foremost, the promotion of herd-wide vaccination. Secondly, the use of micronutrition to support metabolic and immune functions. Dispensed at key moments (around the time of calving, for example), the intake of trace elements reduces oxidative stress and, de facto, the impact of metabolic or infectious diseases on animals. Finally, the reasoned and individualized use of curative treatments. Through these treatment protocols, the integration of diagnostics, technical support and training for farmers, we are making the most of targeted antibiotic treatments, with the result that doses are better controlled, treatments are limited to sick animals and environmental contamination via effluents is reduced. 

Based on these principles, the Target 150 programme we run in the dairy sector also offers a sustainable method for monitoring farms, based on around thirty performance indicators relating to animal health and welfare.

What do pastoral farms in India (with an average of 3 cows) have in common with farms in Brazil covering more than 2,000 hectares? From one region of the world to another, farming methods, particularly for cattle, as well as species and their diseases, vary completely. For this reason, we have adopted a multi-regional approach to farm animal health. 

Being close to farmers and taking into account their day-to-day working constraints on the farm are also at the heart of our corporate culture. At a time when the number of farms (which are growing in size) is decreasing and skilled labor is in short supply, we need to make life easier for professionals in the field. To achieve this, Virbac is inventing, for example, antiparasitic products packaged in flexible backpack-style bags. Or the digital Maternity tool for pig farms, which enables on-farm technicians to make a diagnosis and formulate recommendations for farmers.