Tackling the future challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry - vTI

! Agriculture and Forestry Research, Special Issue No 362 (Braunschweig, 2012) ISSN 0376-0723
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Traditionally, this type of branding treatment can only be done by an experienced healer, and the
knowledge is passed to the eldest male in the family. It is common to combine treatments. Botanical
formulations are often applied topically to the branded area.
Preliminary findings from this study show that
traditional and modern livestock medicine can
play complementary roles. When traditional
healers are unable to differentiate a disease
based on observable symptoms, a veterinarian
can collect additional data through common
laboratory tests like microscopic analysis of
stool samples and haematological tests. At the
same time, modern veterinarians expressed
interest in the use of medicinal plants and botanical
formulas to enhance animal
health. Since medicinal plants and ayurvedic
treatments are still commonly prescribed for
human health in Sri Lanka, it should be noted
that Sri Lankan veterinarians may be more re- Figure 1. Brands applied by a traditional healer
ceptive to these techniques than veterinarians in
other regions.
Figure 2. Brand used to control diarrhea (left) and brand used to control high temperature
fevers (right)
Discussion
Organic certification standards prohibit the use of most synthetic drugs in animal husbandry. Without
access to these treatments, organic livestock farmers tend to focus on holistic health and disease
prevention, but still there are times that treatment is required. In this context, it is important to assess
all available alternatives. Traditional livestock healing techniques have evolved over generations
and survived for hundreds of years because farmers felt they were effective. Priority should
be given to ethnobotanical studies that preserve traditional knowledge on animal health and disease
management. The medicinal plants used to treat disease in many traditional systems are permitted
under international organic regulations. Once these traditional techniques are documented, further
veterinary research should be conducted to scientifically assess their effectiveness. Based on these
findings, effective techniques should be incorporated into organic extension and certification systems.
Suggestions to tackle future challenges of organic animal husbandry
• Conduct ethnobotanical research to document traditional techniques for treating animal diseases.
• Scientifically assess the effectiveness of documented medicinal plants and traditional techniques.
• Incorporate effective techniques into organic extension and certification systems for organic animal
husbandry.
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