The need to integrate more clearly societal expectations on livestock farming has led the authors of this article to consider that livestock farming systems must be redesigned to position health and welfare at the heart of their objectives. This article proposes a vision of the advances in knowledge required at different scales to contribute to this transformation. After defining health and welfare of animals, the article emphasises the need to consider health in a broader perspective, to deepen the question of positive emotional experiences regarding welfare, and raises the question of how to assess these two elements on farms. The positive interactions between health and welfare are presented. Some possible tensions between them are also discussed, in particular when improving welfare by providing a more stimulating and richer environment such as access to outdoor increases the risk of infectious diseases. Jointly improving health and welfare of animals poses a number of questions at various scales, from the animal level to the production chain. At the animal level, the authors highlight the need to explore: the long-term links between better welfare and physiological balance, the role of microbiota, the psycho-neuro-endocrine mechanisms linking positive mental state and health, and the trade-off between the physiological functions of production, reproduction and immunity. At the farm level, in addition to studying the relationships at the group level between welfare, health and production, the paper supports the idea of co-constructing innovative systems with livestock farmers, as well as analysing the cost, acceptability and impact of improved systems on their working conditions and well-being. At the production chain or territory levels, various questions are raised. These include studying the best strategies to improve animal health and welfare while preserving economic viability, the labelling of products and the consumers' willingness to pay, the consequences of heterogeneity in animal traits on the processing of animal products, and the spatial distribution of livestock farming and the organisation of the production and value chain. At the level of the citizen and consumer, one of the challenges is to better inter-relate sanitary and health perspectives on the one hand, and welfare concerns on the other hand. There is also a need to improve citizens' knowledge on livestock farming, and to develop more intense and constructive exchanges between livestock farmers, the livestock industry and citizens. These difficult issues plead for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research involving various scientific disciplines and the different stakeholders, including public policy makers through participatory research.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Africa

Despite the strong decrease in antimicrobial use in the French poultry and pig sectors over the last decade, room for improvement remains. A participatory approach was set up in France, involving representatives of veterinarians, the pig and poultry industries, technical institutes, the French Ministry of Agriculture, and researchers, to further improve how antimicrobials are used on farms. By successively defining a shared, long-term vision of future antimicrobial use on farms, identifying lock-in mechanisms impeding this future vision from being realized, and articulating practical questions on how to move in the desired direction, the group rapidly reached a consensus. The results highlight the need for consensual standardized monitoring tools that would allow farmers and veterinarians to jointly monitor the health, welfare, antimicrobial resistance, and antimicrobial use on farms. Other results relate to better communication and training for citizens regarding animal health, animal welfare, and proper antimicrobial use; some benefits but also counterproductive effects of antibiotic-free labels that imperil animal health and welfare; the economic competitiveness of farms on international markets; and the economic sustainability of farm animal veterinary practices. These results call for a concerted way to produce tools for farmers and veterinarians and the broader involvement of other food sector actors.

Quels sont les pratiques de recherche, les savoir-être et savoir-faire, les environnements de travail et les cadres institutionnels propices à l’interdisciplinarité ? Tel était le fil conducteur d’un séminaire tenu en janvier 2020, mettant en débat les expériences de scientifiques d’INRAE. Les dispositifs conçus pour la recherche disciplinaire ont été questionnés sur leur capacité à favoriser sur la durée la prise de risque de l’interdisciplinarité, à accompagner les scientifiques qui s’y engagent, et à reconnaître cet engagement dans leur carrière. Il en ressort un besoin de souplesse dans la mobilisation d’arènes, de temps et de moyens permettant les échanges.

La quantité d’antibiotiques utilisés dans les filières monogastriques (porcs, volailles et lapins) a chuté fortement à partir des années 2000, et connaît une relative stabilisation depuis quelques années. Les plans EcoAntibio successifs ont renforcé la dynamique et contribué à réduire drastiquement l’usage des antibiotiques critiques. Cette évolution est la résultante combinée d’évolutions réglementaires, d’actions volontaires privées mises en œuvre dans les filières de production, et de démarches professionnelles collectives et individuelles. Différentes actions ont été mises en place, reposant sur une approche multifactorielle de la santé, l’établissement d’un diagnostic fin des troubles sanitaires de l’élevage, et un travail sur leurs causes sous-jacentes pour définir des mesures préventives adaptées. L’accent est mis sur la conduite d’élevage, l’assainissement vis à vis d’agents pathogènes particuliers, la biosécurité, la vaccination, la nutrition, et l’usage de substances alternatives. Les pratiques d’antibiothérapie ont aussi évolué, avec la mise en place de guides de bonnes pratiques consensuels, la généralisation de l’examen bactériologique et de l’antibiogramme, la bonne observance des posologies, et le suivi précis de la santé pour adapter les traitements. La mise en place de ces évolutions repose par ailleurs sur un bon rapport de confiance entre éleveur, vétérinaire et technicien d’élevage, l’accompagnement des éleveurs ayant aussi été renforcé via des dispositifs de sensibilisation et de formation. La poursuite de la rationalisation des usages reposera sur le ciblage des exploitations à risque au regard des usages d’antibiotiques et la mise en place d’actions sur-mesure.