GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

The “One Health” approach to plant and animal health is based on a systemic perspective linking the health of ecosystems, animals and humans. It can be applied to establish a transformative approach to increasing sustainable practices in agriculture and improve the overall health and well-being of humans, animals, and natural ecosystems. It requires interventions at local, territorial, value chain level and coherent public policies.

Proposals should build on existing and new knowledge, data, models (including in situ calibration measurement) and available tools to:

• identify local farm animals and crops in the different agro-ecological zones in Africa to maintain/increase productivity, resilience and nutritional quality taking into account the interactions between plants, animals, diseases, pests, zoonosis and ecosystems under conditions of limited external inputs and increased abiotic and biotic stresses;
• develop innovative means including innovative methodologies for risk assessments and practices to tackle current and emerging plant pests and diseases, pests and zoonosis (including transboundary infectious livestock diseases) taking into account the interactions between plants, livestock health and the natural ecosystems;
• develop sustainable and systemic integrated approaches to plant and animal health from farm to international scales in line with a greener agriculture by optimising resource efficiency, minimising production losses and avoiding geographical spread of diseases/pathogens including animal breeding and being responsible/respectful of natural ecosystem integrity, goods and services;
• establish a multidisciplinary team that works together to achieve these outcomes and bring together experts from academic, government, public, and private institutions to achieve meaningful change in public awareness, policies, and practices that support implementation of sustainable agricultural practices.