| Abstrakt: |
Productive insects are insects farmed for a specific use, e.g. feed, food, industry, waste or pest management. Farming animals means handling large groups of animals, and this poses a series of challenges known also from common livestock. Veterinarians have been attending pets, zoo and wildlife animals, and aquaculture and ordinary livestock species. They have three focuses: a) animal health, b) animal welfare, and c) sustainability. In the case of livestock species destined for human consumption, vets work on any stage of the farm to fork chain, particularly the primary production and the public health sector. They act as bond between what animals need and what farmers can provide to create high yields from healthy and not welfare-compromised animals. Veterinarians have important duties related to official inspection of foodstuffs, including monitoring of foodborne diseases and other zoonoses. On one hand, many insect farmers have not sought advice with veterinarians, as they associate them with vertebrates' health care. On the other hand, current veterinary training does not include productive insects, but this is changing, e.g. in Germany. For productive insects, vets and farmers should work together like for other livestock, i.e. vets must develop herd management strategies for animal health and animal welfare. However, and in contrast to the latter-named, corresponding information is scarce for productive insects under farm conditions. Presently, animal health monitoring is based on herd observation, isolation of affected animal groups, and protection of the farm colonies. Animal welfare mainly refers to observing the five freedoms and a killing method, which produces as less stress as possible (freezing). As knowledge is created, it will have to be integrated into this herd management. As a response to this need, the International Network for Productive Insects' Health and Welfare (INPIHW) was founded in 2019. Mainly consisting of veterinarians and biologists, it is emphasizing this counselor position by research on one side, and by reach-out and capacity building on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
