Integral health farming

Abstract

Society is increasingly aware of the connection between the health of the land, of animals and of humans. Visions of ‘foodscapes’ and ‘healthscapes’ are eclipsing the conventional view of landscapes focussed solely on production. Livestock production farming systems must co-evolve with this thinking. Lincoln University has designed and is implementing the Integral Health Dairy Farm (IHDF) to test and communicate these new and transformational systems views. Its objective is to innovate, to demonstrate and to manage a tangible transition from current practices to a system designed to enhance health, from the ground up. This includes measured improvements in soil, plant, animal, human and community health. In this ‘comment’, we focus on applied scientific integration of the ‘One health approach’ into agricultural systems of livestock, presenting our initial design and prototyping processes, as well as how it continues as the project moves from the drawing board to implementation, benefiting from a growing network of supporters and collaborators.